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Published: Jan. 24, 2013 at 7:25 AM

MEXICO CITY, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A panel of Mexican Supreme Court justices ordered the release French woman Florence Cassez, who was serving a 60-year sentence for kidnapping.

Police arrested Cassez in 2005 for involvement in a kidnapping group called the Zodiacs. Her Mexican boyfriend was the head of the organization, authorities said, though Cassez denied she ever committed a crime.

The panel of justices said Wednesday the staged televised arrest of Cassez in 2005, one day after her actual arrest, was a violation of her rights to due process, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Judge Alfredo Gutierrez Ortiz Mena said the staged arrest for the benefit of television crews counteracted the presumption of innocence.

"Respect for human rights is the only way to justify the punitive power of the state," Judge Arturo Zaldivar added.

Cassez's imprisonment has put a strain on relations between the French and Mexican governments. The French government had repeatedly urged Cassez's release, but some say Mexican President Felipe Calderon refused to release her because his administration wishes to appear tough on crime, the Journal said.

Angry Mexicans took to Twitter Wednesday over their frustration with the ruling.

"Incredible, the liberation of the French woman," tweeted Maria Esteva. "The message: Kidnap, torture, kill ... it doesn't matter, you'll get off free."


Read more: Mexican judges release French woman, Cassez, sentenced to 60 years - UPI.com

I was just reading about that.

Google - Florence Cassez

"...nos llega la noticia de la sentencia de 96 años a la que ha sido merecedora Florence Cassez, la misma mujer cuya voz escuché innumerables ocasiones durante mi cautiverio, la misma voz de origen francés que me taladra hasta hoy los oídos, la misma voz que mi hijo reconoce como la de la mujer que le sacó sangre para enviarla a mi esposo..."

Originally Posted by Marty Cortez

I was just reading about that.

Google - Florence Cassez

"...nos llega la noticia de la sentencia de 96 años a la que ha sido merecedora Florence Cassez, la misma mujer cuya voz escuché innumerables ocasiones durante mi cautiverio, la misma voz de origen francés que me taladra hasta hoy los oídos, la misma voz que mi hijo reconoce como la de la mujer que le sacó sangre para enviarla a mi esposo..."

It took five years, but the new Judges finally got it right imho.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

It took five years, but the new Judges finally got it right imho.

Sorry Woooosh, but I am not quite so sure...

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Sorry Woooosh, but I am not quite so sure...

perhaps. No doubt she was in with the wrong crowd. Stupid doesn't always mean guilty, but it does lead in that direction. Only one victim identified her, only by voice- but they didn't say she if spoke in French. Maybe that's the part I missed.

There was more than one victim that identified her and they said that she spoke with a strong french accent. Cristina Ríos Valladares gave a very strong testimony against her:

http://www.excelsior.com.mx/2012/03/...enendez/816900

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

There was more than one victim that identified her and they said that she spoke with a strong french accent. Cristina Ríos Valladares gave a very strong testimony against her:

http://www.excelsior.com.mx/2012/03/...enendez/816900

Thanks. I had not read that account before. Why was this testimony ignored? Under the current judicial system- was there the opportunity for their testimony or was this all done behind closed doors? I don't get it.

From what I get from the news, the supreme court ordered her released on human rights grounds; that she was never able to put together a defense properly during her legal process based on police/prosecution mishandling and conduct.

They never made any declaration as to her guilt or innocence (although she is now saying they declared her innocent). The two judges that voted against her agreed that her trial and process had problems/errors but that justice would be served if she were retried.

I agree...

BajaGringo

I agree that the Mexican police screwed up but.....
2 wrongs should not make 1 right.

What would be wrong with:
"We will reduce your 60 years to...... say 40 years for our mistake.!"

I mean don't we all pay for our rights and wrongs through life some how be it money or time?

I recall while I was running my Buisiness "Time = Money > Money = Time".

Life is like running a business, is it not?

Originally Posted by CDN_JOHNNY

BajaGringo

I agree that the Mexican police screwed up but.....
2 wrongs should not make 1 right.

What would be wrong with:
"We will reduce your 60 years to...... say 40 years for our mistake.!"

I agree

It sounds like another bad case of OJ to me.

Originally Posted by beachbum

It sounds like another bad case of OJ to me.

It kind of is. Some type of crime "video dramatization" involving the real suspects was put out in the public forum, which I suppose would taint the jury pool . But since there are no juries or open trials in Mexico yet, you'd think the judges who make the decision would have know better. So are Mexico and France friends again? They banded together to slam the USA over the Iraq war.

Lots of backlash on this on the social networks and it is crossing all political lines. My guess is that the three supreme court judges who voted in favor are definitely looking over their shoulder right now...

01/29/13 (written by mserrano) – On January 23, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled 3-2 to release French citizen Florence Cassez, who had been in Mexican prison since 2005 for her alleged [...]

More...

"In the aftermath of the public controversy sparked by Cassez’s release, the Mexican Supreme Court issued a statement defending its ruling in which it noted other recent significant cases in which alleged criminals had also been released for due process violations. “What can one conclude [from all of this]?” the Court’s statement reads, “That [over the past year this Court]…has applied the Constitution and international treaties to issue opinions that protect the freedom of those who have been wrongly deprived of liberty in cases where due process and fundamental rights have been infringed.”

I understand why and what their intentions are but I think this is going to set a vey bad precedent and I would not hazzard to bet some of the people who are awaitng trials for beheading somebody will end up back on the streets because they did not get a trial quick enough.

DAM,
FIX the FUTURE - NOT the PAST

I totally hate it when the courts do this... It has been done in Canada and the USA. Criminals let go because of some paper work and the people who pay are the victims.

No response expected, I got that off my Chest

I totally agree...

If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit.

I hear that she is not getting a complete royal welcome from the french press. I saw a clip where the french reporter was pointing out that she was not absolved of the accusation of participating in the kidnappings and accused the french government of just using this to cover up their own political failures.