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Jet Set nightclub collapse trial recessed until September 4
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic /Crime & Justice

Jet Set nightclub collapse trial recessed until September 4

From Diario Libre · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified In the courts
  • The trial for the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub, which occurred on April 8, 2025, has been recessed until September 4.
  • Witnesses and experts are scheduled to testify at the next hearing, with prosecutors expressing confidence in the evidence presented.
  • The defense questioned the prosecution's framing of the case as negligence, highlighting that one of the accused was abroad at the time of the incident.

The trial for the collapse of the Jet Set nightclub, which resulted in 236 deaths and 180 injuries, has been recessed until September 4. Judge Franny González of the Fourth Criminal Chamber of the National District set the next hearing for 9:00 AM at the Palace of Justice of Ciudad Nueva.

At 9:00 in the morning and it will be in this same place (Palace of Justice of Ciudad Nueva). Witnesses and experts in the process, in charge of the parties, are summoned for that hearing.

— Franny GonzálezJudge Franny González informing about the next hearing date and location.

Prosecutors expressed satisfaction with the proceedings so far. "We are happy with the progress in the process and it is a demonstration of the work of the Public Ministry. The body assumed its role before the court and presented the evidence," stated Wilson Camacho, a representative of the Public Ministry. He added, "We expect the court to issue a conviction in accordance with the facts."

We are happy with the progress in the process and it is a demonstration of the work of the Public Ministry. The body assumed its role before the court and presented the evidence.

— Wilson CamachoPublic Ministry representative Wilson Camacho expressing satisfaction with the trial's progress.

Plutarco Jáquez, a lawyer for several plaintiffs, called the session productive, noting that victims' representatives were able to present their arguments. "The day was one of much progress. There is a set schedule for all Fridays, and the forecast is that this process will end in three Fridays," he said.

We expect the court to issue a conviction in accordance with the facts.

— Wilson CamachoPublic Ministry representative Wilson Camacho stating expectations for the trial's outcome.

However, the defense raised questions about the prosecution's case. Miguel Valerio, a lawyer for the Espaillat siblings, argued that the Public Ministry has framed the case as negligence. "But what happened that night? There are two interesting cases: Maribel was there that night; Antonio Espaillat was out of the country that night. What does that mean? What is the factual part of the case that we propose to review? First, the scope of Article 319 of the Penal Code (which defines involuntary manslaughter and negligence)," Valerio stated. He also pointed out that the establishment had operated for over 50 years, suggesting that the owners did not intend for such a tragedy to occur. "No one who operates for fifty years wanted that to happen. Being an owner or administrator is not being an engineer," he argued.

The day was one of much progress. There is a set schedule for all Fridays, and the forecast is that this process will end in three Fridays.

— Plutarco JáquezLawyer for several plaintiffs, Plutarco Jáquez, describing the progress of the trial.
About this summary

Originally published by Diario Libre in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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