van der Sloot attorney: Victim attacked first, evidence tainted, asks to strike down confession

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Peruvian officials say Joran van der Sloot has confessed to the slaying of Stephany Flores Ramirez. What will this development mean for the Natalee Holloway case? Watch "Nancy Grace," at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on HLN.

Lima, Peru (CNN) -- Peru murder suspect Joran van der Sloot, a longtime suspect in the disappearance of an American teen in Aruba, was transferred from a police facility to the national attorney general's office Thursday morning, according to images broadcast by CNN affiliate America TV.

Van der Sloot's attorney, Maximo Alonso Altez Navarro, told CNN his client will go from the attorney general's office to the Justice Ministry, where a judge will determine which jail he will go to.

Van der Sloot, twice detained but never charged in the disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway five years ago in Aruba, was arrested last week in connection with the slaying of a 21-year-old Peruvian woman in Lima, the nation's capital. He confessed to the slaying earlier this week, police said.

The lawyer said he has spoken with the director of jails in Lima to make sure van der Sloot is safe once he is moved to one of the city's maximum-security prisons.

Altez said he planned to ask the judge in the case to strike down van der Sloot's confession, because he was not properly represented when he was interrogated.

The attorney said police got a public defense attorney to be present at the interrogation and subsequent confession, but that van der Sloot never agreed to this lawyer.

Altez also said he has found indications that the handling of the evidence was tainted, especially the way the body was handled during the crime scene investigation.

He intends to go to trial, Altez said.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/10/peru.murder.case/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[the other one]

1. That lawyer is worth his fee.

Sounds like.

[demtenjeep]

2. he and his families money

will make a mockery of all this

[get the red out]

3. The victim's family has money

Her family has money and influence in Peru. Sad that this is the way to potential justice. Who has the $$$. And it isn't much different here, judging from celebrity trials.

[jdlh8894]

4. Nancy Grace made him a celebrity. n/t

[MicaelS]

7. And if the Dutch / Aruban authorities had not bungled

The case from the beginning, this young women would still be alive. The Van der Sloot family had money and influence in Aruba.

Just shows if you have money, power, fame or influence, you can get away with murder many places. OJ Simpson, and Robert Blake both proved that in the US.

Bungling by authorities always helps.

If I had a loved one murdered I would spend every penny needed to get the guilty convicted and punished, hopefully with Lethal Injection.

I don't give a fuck about the rehabilitation of murderers. I want punishment and retribution.

[RaleighNCDUer]

9. There is a big difference with this -

In the US, as with most of northern Europe including the Netherlands - and by extension, Aruba - the justice system is based on the presumption of innocence. If we can't prove someone guilty, they are acquitted. As I understand it, Peru, like most Latin countries, still are rooted in the Napoleonic code, and the accused needs to prove himself innocent; the state merely needs to provide evidence of his guilt and the accused must DISPROVE that evidence, not merely cast a doubt on it.

(Of course, I could be wrong, but that's my understanding.)

He's going down.

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. yep. +1

[montanto]

5. Of course she attacked first,

and logically, he crushed the back of her head for it. Then, also quite logically for someone who has been attacked and had to defend himself to the death, he fled the country. That's how simple it is.

It's a shame that this mockery has to go on, but it does, I guess.

[Spoonman]

6. Short rope, long fall

I wish they had the death penalty - fuck him!

[MicaelS]

8. No rope....

Execution by firing squad in a very public place with many public witnesses. Preferably broadcast live on television, cable and satellite. Nothing hidden by closed doors.

But yes, fuck him.

[Spoonman]

10. OK,

I'll accept that too!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. I can think of a few countries in which things are indeed done in such a manner.

Nice places, all. :sarcasm:

[Dogtown]

12. Some blood-thirsty rascals in this thread.

Damn.

[FarCenter]

14. What does "striking down the confession " mean in Peru

Does the judge deciding the case read the confession, decide that it should be struck down, and then proceed to decide the case on the basis of the remaining evidence?

There is no jury.