The mother of Marine Sgt. Andrew Tahmooressi,jailed in Mexico since
March 31, has hired a “rock star” defense attorney for her son – his
third lawyer in as many weeks.
Jill Tahmooressi, said Wednesday that following the advice of
California defense attorney Phil Dunn, she has hired Mexican attorney
Fernando Benitez Alvarez del Castillo.
"I'm comfortable that I now have a competent attorney to represent Andrew," Tahmooressi told Foxnews.com.
Dunn has assumed the role of consigliere for Tahmooressi after two
previous failed attempts at lawyers. The first one, Alejandro Osuna, was
fired the night before the Marine’s first court appearance May 28 for
allegedly instructing him to tell the judge he had never been to Mexico
before, which was not true.
The second attorney, Lamberto Esquer, hired shortly afterwards, never
even got out of the gate before Tahmooressi said she lost confidence in
him.
"I obviously don't know how to pick Mexican attorneys, and that's why
I'm grateful to now have Phil Dunn's help," Tahmooressi said.
FernandoBenitez has a 17-year proven defense track record with some
high-profile cases, including
representing Jorge Hank Rhon,former
Tijuana mayor and current owner of the Xolos soccer team.
He was placed under house arrest for weapons charges in June of
2011.Weapons found at his home had been used in three murders, one of
which was the 1988 assassination of journalist "El Gato" Felix.He had
also been suspected of having his son's girlfriend murdered.
Hank Rhon was detained in a Tecate prison, the same one where
Tahmooressi currently is held, in June 2011. Fernando Benitez, Hank
Rhon's attorney at the time, was quoted as saying the arrest was not
valid because there was no search warrant, and as such all evidence
obtained therefrom was inadmissible.
The Mexican army had done the warrantless search on Hank Rhon's
compound based on admissions by arrestees who said they obtained their
weapons from Hank Rhon's compound. The soldiers said they "saw" men
entering Hank Rhon's compound with the weapons.
At the time of the raid on the Hank Rhon compound, Mexican Army
troops found 40 rifles, 48 handguns, only 10 of which he had permits
for, and 9,250 rounds of ammunition.
The judge ruled that because there was no warrant for the raid, all evidence was inadmissible and the charges were dropped.
“Fernando Benitez Alvarez Castillo is pretty much a rock star defense
attorney because of this case, so choosing him would make sense," said
Bart Santos, a private investigator in California who is a friend of
Tahmooressi.
Tahmooressi said she hopes the process will now accelerate beyond its
glacial pace since her son was arrested March 31 for making a wrong
turn into Mexico with three legally purchased weapons in his truck.
He had been in the San Diego area for treatment of combat-related
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He did two tours in Afghanistan, one of
which garnered him a battlefield promotion to sergeant, and also
survived a devastating IED attack on his fighting vehicle.
According to Tahmooressi, she learned from the federal court in
Tijuana that the previous two attorneys never filed any defense-related
evidence to be placed in her son’s file.
"The judge placed an order to expedite this case," Tahmooressi said.
Tahmooressi said she does not know when new hearing dates will be scheduled.
Source: Foxnews
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