Former Prosecutor General's Defense Seeks Case Dismissal, Citing Legal Limits and State Delays

The defense team for Jean Alain Rodríguez, the former prosecutor general of the Dominican Republic, is pushing for a corruption case against him to be dismissed, citing the legal limit for criminal proceedings.

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the application of the maximum legal term, of four years, to his criminal process for alleged administrative corruption.

Lawyers Carlos Balcácer, Gustavo Biaggi, and Nelys Rivas assert that both the World Jurist Association in Washington, D.C., and prominent national legal organizations back their claim that the case has surpassed the maximum four-year duration.

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the delays verified in the process were caused 'by the State'.

They contend that the delays, which have extended the process to nearly six years, were caused by the state. These delays include a nearly two-year investigation, requests for extensions by the prosecution, an indictment exceeding 12,000 pages, persistent issues with digital evidence, and the late submission or concealment of documents. The defense also points to a statement by Jorge Subero Isa, former president of the Supreme Court of Justice, who publicly questioned the handling of large corruption cases, noting that the sheer volume of defendants, evidence, and pages can impede progress.

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the quantity of defendants, evidence, witnesses, and indictments of up to 12,000 pages prevents the normal progress of processes.

The defense emphasizes that dismissing a case is a procedural safeguard designed to prevent indefinite legal proceedings, not a declaration of guilt or innocence. They highlight that Dominican courts have granted 22,645 such dismissal requests between 2014 and 2025, compared to 2,769 rejections, suggesting a precedent for their argument.

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Dismissal does not constitute impunity nor a declaration of guilt or innocence. It is a procedural guarantee created by the legislator to prevent any citizen from remaining subjected indefinitely.