Hide Article Text (OCR)
Won't Sign BondSanchez a Signature Away From FreedomBy NICK JIMENEZ Staff WriterAll Guadalupe Ortiz Sanchez has to do to get out of jail is sign his name and federal Judge Owen Cox has declined to make the exit any easier.Cox, in an order filed today, said Sanchez, who has been in jail nearly eight years on a murder charge, must sign a $15,000 personal recognizance bond.Sanchez has stood trial four times for the murder of Mrs. Ethel Ernestine Lynch and once came within a week of the electric chair.. And now after appeals through the state and federal courts, two hung juries, one mistrial, and an overturned guilty verdict, Sanchez stands on the edge of freedom;All he has to do is sign a personal recognizance bond and the doors will open. The district attorney has said that it is very unlikely he will ever stand trial again. The guts of the case against him —■ an alleged confession—was ruled inadmissible evidence.Judge Cox ordered that Sanchez either be tried by March II or be released. The deadline passed and the state court ordered his release but with the personal recognizance condition.Sanchez turned it down, instead seeking ■ outright release.Cox in his order said, The court does not understand the Court of Appeals to say that the charge against Guadalupe O. Sanchez must be dismissed for failure to go to trial on March 11,1974.'1Cox wrote that if the indictment in the state court against Guadalupe Ortiz Sanchez remains effective, and Guadalupe Ortiz Sanchez can later be tried, he must have some responsibility to the court, which this unsecured appearance bond would satisfy.”Cox noted .that all Sanchez has to do is sign the bond. No cash would be required at. the bond signing and only if be didn’t show up at a future hearing and the bondwere forfeited, would money be involved.*Ail that is necessary for nis release at this time is for him to execute such bond,” the judge wrote.I'm disappointed,” Gary Norton, court-appointed attorney, said today. I expected Judge Cox to order the state to release him.”Sanchez will remain in the Bexar Cbunty jail in San Antonio, the site of his last trial, pending appeal to the Court of Appeals, Norton said. He wants the lawobeyed.
Newspaper Details
Corpus Christi Times
Corpus Christi, Texas, US
Fri, Mar 22, 1974
Page 35
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
WA, USA 10 Mar 2020
Other Publications Near Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi Caller and Daily Herald
Corpus Christi Morning Times
Corpus Christi Caller
Corpus Christi Blacklander
Corpus Christi Times
