Just when everyone thought the Wander Franco situation had largely been concluded, the process has started all over again.
On Tuesday the court of appeals of Puerto Plata, D.R. made the decision to void
Wander Franco’s trial that was held this past June in which he, and the victim’s mother, were both found guilty of various crimes related to relations with a 14-year old girl.
Franco was sentenced to a two year suspended prison sentence (in which he doesn’t actually serve any time behind bars); the victim’s mother was sentenced to 10-years in prison. Now both of those sentences and the entire trial in June have been thrown out, with Franco and the victim’s mother both having their convictions voided; both receive new trials.
Franco’s lawyers had alleged various procedural errors in his first trial, which had been delayed when 33 of the 36 planned witnesses failed to appear in court in December 2024, took about seven months from scheduling to reach sentencing.
Once the new trial has concluded, Major League Baseball would finally be able to proceed with their own investigation and provide their own ruling on Franco’s career; however, guilty verdicts related to this case may prevent Franco from ever receiving a work visa, rendering a future career in MLB a moot point. Should a vise be granted, MLB’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy may lead to further suspension — a process which does not require a guilty verdict.
Wander Franco has been on administrative leave since August 2023 when the allegations of his crimes first came to light. The Rays placed him on the restricted list in July, 2024 after he was formally charged.
Late last year, Wander Franco was arrested once again after a gun was discovered in his vehicle following an altercation caught on video, but the charges were later dismissed.
The date for a new trial has not yet been set.
