The Dominican player Jose Reyes will be tried on April 4th in a criminal court in Hawaii on charges of domestic violence and related crimes, After brutally beating his wife Katherine Ramirez go to last year.
If the shortstop for the Rockies, who is not a citizen of the United States, is convicted, he could be deported to the Dominican Republic and would lose his stellar career in Major League Baseball for life, according to a spokesman for the office of Kerry Glen prosecutor in charge of the case in Hawaii.
According to sources the layer will be defended by attorney David Sereno, who has refused to speak to the media about the charges against Reyes.
The trial will be led by Judge Richard Bissen, from the Second Circuit of Hawaii, confirmed the prosecutor, Kerry Glen.
Reyes has pleaded not guilty, despite the overwhelming evidence against him, including DNA testing and the medical record from his wife, who had to be admitted to a hospital, where she received medical care from the numerous injuries sustained after the incident, from what appears to be bottles thrown at her. But even if Reyes reaches a plea deal, there is a big possibility to be deported. According to Michael Wildes, a former federal prosecutor and now manager and partner of the law firm “Wildes & Weinberg” convictions for domestic violence are conducive to deportation.
“Major League Baseball has a new policy on domestic violence and Reyes case is the first under the new format,” said Thomas Harding. An important aspect of the new policy is a restriction on the participation of the team in each case. Rob Manfred, MLB commissioner, is already handling the situation in its entirety. “A new commissioner, a new policy, and the first case,” continued Harding, describing the uniqueness of the situation. While MLB expects a decision in early March, The Rockies are hoping for some kind of news this week. “They want to know how to manage their team for spring training,” added Harding.
Reyes will still receive his 22 million dollars salary this year while on leave. The players’ association has the right to appeal Manfred decision before an arbitration judge.
