This Just in at 2:40PM, Wednesday, March 21

A Mexican supreme court panel has just refused to overturn the 60 year sentence of Frenchwoman Florence Cassez who was convicted in 2005 of complicity in the kidnappings of several Mexican victims by a gang who held them captive on a ranch outside of Mexico City. This despite extreme pressure for her release among some French including President Sarkozy.

I can´t comment on the finer points of Ms. Cassez trial that led to her conviction, first for 96 years later reduced to 60 years but the readers can review news accounts of the events leading up to her conviction and decide for themselves whether or not, in their view, Ms. Cassez received a fair hearing and sentence relative to the crime of which she is accused. I must say, however, that the sanctimonious attitude of French officials in damanding Ms. Cassez release failed to move the legal authorities in Mexico who rightly expressed more sympathy for the kidnap victims than the accused and were unresponsive to French denigration of the Mexican justice system as it dealt with a French citizen accused of crimes committed in Mexico.

hound dog wrote:A Mexican supreme court panel has just refused to overturn the 60 year sentence of Frenchwoman Florence Cassez who was convicted in 2005 of complicity in the kidnappings of several Mexican victims by a gang who held them captive on a ranch outside of Mexico City. This despite extreme pressure for her release among some French including President Sarkozy.

I can´t comment on the finer points of Ms. Cassez trial that led to her conviction, first for 96 years later reduced to 60 years but the readers can review news accounts of the events leading up to her conviction and decide for themselves whether or not, in their view, Ms. Cassez received a fair hearing and sentence relative to the crime of which she is accused. I must say, however, that the sanctimonious attitude of French officials in damanding Ms. Cassez release failed to move the legal authorities in Mexico who rightly expressed more sympathy for the kidnap victims than the accused and were unresponsive to French denigration of the Mexican justice system as it dealt with a French citizen accused of crimes committed in Mexico.

Got a link Dawg?

Just from what I've read about the case the prosecution did a piss poor job as usual,that said the victims did identify her as particpating in their kidnapping,she says she did'nt know her boyfriend was a kidnapper,yeah right,my gut feeling is that she is guilty as hell.Why the french government would care about this nasty little bitch is beyond me.I hope she rots in a mexican hell for the rest of her miserable life,which is what all kidnappers deserve regardless of their nationality.I would be interested to hear your wife's take on this.
Chris

I picked up the news from www.cronica.com.mx
I have bee following the case from the paper I receive from the French consulate and they kind of expected her release so it could be interesting.

Most French papers declared her innocent and accuse the police and justice of being corrupt. What else is new?

It is a huge deal in France. Florence Cassez ´parents are rich industrialists from northern France and have enrolled the help of the pope as well as Sarkozy and the French press. Her lawyer yesterday said he thought she would be released today so it is going to be big headlines.
It comes on top of the situation of the AL Quaida Toulouse kid who is surrounded and will get captured or killed tonight so the tv overthere had not announced the news yet but it will be another big deal.

It is an election year in France and Mexico so the whole thing became a political football. The public in France believe she was set up and is innoent so there will be boycots of Mexican events and it will hurt tourism from there.

Personally I think she is guilty at least by association or worst since the vicims recognized her voice, accent and hands. If she was guilty of helping the scumbags in those kidnapping she deserves to rot in jail. I think she was a spoiled little rich girl who played with the wrong people and when in Mexico she has to be judge by the Mexican system.
It is a shame that her case will screw up good will, business and good relations between France and Mexico.

We are going to be in France in May with a Mexican teenager, I am sure this will make many animated dinner conversations.

There was an article on her case in this last Guadalajara Reporter.

Sorry I rarely read the GR so I did not see it.

Here is a partial from the GUADALAJARA REPORTER article:
http://www.guadalajarareporter.com/news-mainmenu-82/national-mainmenu-86/30716-judge-hands-lifeline-to-french-woman-serving-60-years-for-kidnapping.html

Thanks Brigitte,now I understand why all the pressure from the French Government.
Chris

Frankly I'm confused since both French and Mexican law is Napoleonic. Clearly if witnesses identified her voice, accent and her hands, she must have been involved to some extent.

If I remember right they remembered her voice because she threatened to have their fingers cut off if the ransom was'nt paid,nice chick.

viajero wrote:If I remember right they remembered her voice because she threatened to have their fingers cut off if the ransom was'nt paid,nice chick.

Whoa, 60 years isn't enough IMO.

She first got 90 years but it was shorten to 60 years in one of the appeals.
The police did an incredible stupid thing when they staged her arrest and forced her and her boyfriend to act their arrest .In some countries and in other times that could have gotten her off, innocent or not but the situation is way too political now to revert it.

INFORMADOR had an article today:
Spanish: http://www.informador.com.mx/primera/2012/365051/6/florence-cassez-sigue-en-la-carcel-la-corte-debatira-amparo.htm
Translation: http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=auto&tl=en&twu=1&u=http://www.informador.com.mx/primera/2012/365051/6/florence-cassez-sigue-en-la-carcel-la-corte-debatira-amparo.htm&usg=ALkJrhj6sq_P7Hfto9fJaifo2qZn2hHRBQ

This all thing is not over and thanks to the screw up of the police the all case is going to be reviewed as it was admitted she did not get a fair trial.
Two magistrates voted to let her out immediately 1 voted against and 2 voted to review the case.
It is pretty much agreed that the police staging of the arrest and the fact she was not intereviewed for several days by the Ministerio Publico is a violation of her rights so she still could be freed eventually.
She has spent 6 years in jail and will spend more time as there is no time given for the new procedure . There is still a chance she will go free according to her Mexican lawyer.