Rays Shortstop Wander Franco on trial in Dominican Republic
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Tampa Bay Rays Shortstop Wander Franco appeared in a Dominican courtroom on Monday to answer to charges he had sex with an underage girl.
The trial had been set in December, but when only three witnesses out of thirty showed up, prosecutors asked for a delay.
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Documents in the case appear to show that Franco paid the mother of a 14-year-old girl thousands of dollars for her consent to have sex with the girl.
Franco's defense team maintains he in innocent.
In court, attorneys discussed a post on X from Franco saying that he is the victim of blackmail.
Franco is now on a 'restricted list' from Major League Baseball, and he is not being paid by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Before the charges, he had signed an 11-year contract worth more than $180 million. The trial is expected to take at least eight months.
There are no jury trials in the Dominican Republic, and the case will be heard by a panel of judges.
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