SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — An appeals court in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing a minor and had received a two-year suspended sentence.
Tuesday’s ruling comes after Franco’s attorneys had pushed to have his conviction suspended and sentencing overturned, while prosecutors had been seeking a five-year sentence.
The appeals court ruled in favor of Franco, ordering that new judges oversee the case.
Franco was arrested last year after being accused of having a four-month relationship with a girl who was 14 at the time, and of transferring thousands of dollars to her mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
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