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OAG’s request to continue trial of ex-DPW staff in sexual abuse case denied
A request by the Office of the Attorney General on Friday to move the jury trial of a former Department of Public Works employee accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl was denied yesterday.
The case against David Blanco Santos is set to start on June 19.
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho pointed out that the case against Santos was originally filed in December 2016, which means that prior to filing charges, the OAG should have or would have reviewed the evidence and interviewed witnesses.
The jury summons is already in the process of being issued he added.
The judge pointed out that the Marshal Service Division needs at least four weeks to serve the jury summons and the jury trial has already been continued once.
On Friday, four weeks before the trial, assistant attorney general Teri C. Tenorio, counsel for the government, filed a motion to postpone trial, saying that Santos and the alleged victim have a recent death in the family.
In denying the request, Camacho also pointed out that any interview of the alleged victim should have been done already. If the alleged victim has not been interviewed yet, then the government has more than four weeks, which is ample time to conduct it, he added.
The judge ordered that the June 19 jury trial shall proceed. He ordered the parties to come prepared to discuss the proposed jury instructions and verdict form at the pretrial conference on May 17 at 9am.
Santos, 50, is charged with one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and one count of disturbing the peace.
Santos was not arrested, but penal summons was issued on Dec. 28, 2016, ordering him to appear in court last Jan. 23 for arraignment. Santos appeared at the arraignment with his counsel, assistant public defender Nancy Dominski.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
According to the information, Santos sexually abused the girl on Aug. 2, 2016.
