Juan Severino, a very tough judge

[NewsWhore]

Juan Maria Severino, the judge who sentenced former President Salvador Jorge Blanco to 20 years in prison, passed away over the weekend as a result of kidney failure. Severino was known for his harsh sentences handed down in 1988 against the former President, the former banker Leonel Almonte and businessman Juan Tomas Pena Valentin for over-valued sales to the Armed Forces. He was also known for his "drastic" sentences for offenders against Law 50-88, which related to drug distributors, traffickers or consumers. Severino came from a humble Puerto Plata family, and achieved national fame as a magistrate who brooked no nonsense in his courtroom. He was a colonel-lawyer in the National Police, and sat as the judge of the National District Seventh Penal Chamber for 18 years. His wife and six children were at his bedside.

More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#13)