Judge drops most charges vs. P.R. governor

The legal load on the back of Puerto Rican governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá just got a whole lot lighter:

A U.S. judge on Monday threw out most of the federal corruption charges against Puerto Rico's governor, who faces trial in February for alleged campaign finance violations.

The judge dismissed 15 of the 24 charges against Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila. All but two were dismissed with prejudice and cannot be filed again.

Acevedo Vilá was indicted in March on charges related to campaign fraud and electoral wrongdoing during his 2004 gubernatorial campaign. But according to Judge Paul Barbadoro some of the charges were based on a misinterpretation of Puerto Rican electoral law.

Acevedo Vilá is still supposed to stand for trial in February. By then he will not be the governor anymore after his electoral loss last month to Luis Fortuño. Acevedo Vila’s loss was partially as a result of his legal problems.

Image- BBC News
Sources- The Latin Americanist, Caribbean Net News, IHT