DESPITE the government’s objection, Superior Court Associate Judge Wesley Bogdan on Thursday granted the request of Robert Camacho Torres to be released to his first cousin as third-party custodian.
Citing the defendant’s right to bail, Judge Bogdan told Torres, “You are innocent until proven guilty.”
The judge added that Torres is “very lucky for having family members who have stepped forward for you while other defendants do not have anyone.”
The judge placed Torres under house arrest, 24/7, adding that the defendant will only be allowed to leave the house with his third-party custodian.
In addition, the defendant will submit to random drug tests and report results to the court. For its part, the Department of Public Safety will conduct random checks on the defendant’s current residence.
The third-party custodian told the court that he will immediately call the police if Torres fails to comply with the court conditions.
“He better listen — this is his last chance,” Torres’s first cousin told the court.
Assistant Attorney General Chester Hinds strongly opposed the defendant’s motion, saying that Torres “has addiction issues and nothing that has been proposed will address those issues.”
Hinds asked the court to find that Torres has violated the previous terms and conditions of his bail, and to raise the bail amount imposed on the defendant.
Torres, 41, and Derik Jonathan Reyes, 39, were arrested on July 12, 2019 for possession of methamphetamine or “ice” after a traffic stop on Beach Road, Garapan.
The two were charged by the Office of the Attorney General with possession of a controlled substance.
On July 15, 2019, Torres was allowed to post a $2,000 cash bail and was ordered not to have any contact with his co-defendant. In Jan. 2021, police learned that he had been in communication with his co-defendant.
At the hearing on Thursday, attorney Mark Scoggins, who represented Torres, argued for the defendant’s release.
Scoggins said his client could also undergo random drug testing if necessary.
The lawyer likewise submitted a property bond worth $8,000 for Torres’s release.
Torres is a Drug Court graduate, Variety learned.
