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3h ago

Constitutional Court Confirms Miguel López’s Acquittal, Cancels Supreme Court-Ordered Retrial

The court said the claimed procedural flaw resulted from the accuser’s own inaction.

Miguel López, nada más conocer el veredicto del jurado que le declaraba no culpable del asesinato de su suegra.
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Un momento del juicio con tribunal de jurado en Alicante, en 2019, y el único acusado (derecha) por el asesinato de María del Carmen Martínez, la viuda del expresidente de la CAM Vicente Sala

Overview

  • Spain’s Constitutional Court annulled the Supreme Court’s 2022 order for a new trial and declared the 2019 jury acquittal of Miguel López final.
  • Judges found no constitutionally relevant indefensión, concluding the private accuser could have requested the draft verdict and failed to do so at the proper time.
  • The ruling, adopted 4–2 with dissents by Ricardo Enríquez and José María Macías, aligns with the position of the public prosecutor.
  • The dispute centered on a first draft of the jury’s verdict that was returned for lack of motivation and later destroyed, which the Supreme Court had cited to justify a retrial.
  • The decision closes the nearly nine-year case over the 2016 killing of María del Carmen Martínez in Alicante, ending prospects of any new proceedings against López.