Charles Maestas

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Charge:	Sexual Assault and Bribery
Sentence:	3 years
Years Imprisoned:	2.67
Year Crime:	2002
Year Convicted:	2003
Year Cleared:	2007
U.S. State or Country of Crime:	New Mexico
County or Region of Crime:	Rio Arriba
City of Crime:	Espanola
Result:	Judicially Exonerated
Summary of Case:	"Charles Maestas was a municipal court judge who was wrongly convicted on June 19, 2003 of five felony counts of official acts prohibited in violation of the New Mexico Governmental Conduct Act, NMSA 1978, § 10-16-3(D) (1993), and five counts of criminal sexual penetration during the commission of the felony. Maestas' prosecution was based on the testimony of three women who claimed he coerced them into having sex with him. Maestas was sentenced to 3 years in prison. On December 13, 2006 the New Mexico Supreme Court reversed all of Maestas convictions and ordered a retrial. Maestas was acquitted on July 27, 2007 of all the sexual penetration counts, and four of the official misconduct counts after a retrial. On September 5, 2007 the motion by the Rio Arriba District Attorney to dismiss the remaining official misconduct count was granted."
Conviction Caused By:
Innocence Proved By:	"Maestas was acquitted on July 27, 2007 of all the sexual penetration counts, and four of the official misconduct counts after a retrial. On September 5, 2007 the motion by the Rio Arriba District Attorney to dismiss the remaining official misconduct count was granted."
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:
Was Perpetrator Identified?
Age When Imprisoned:	40
Age When Released:	43
Sex:	Male
Skin/Ethnicity:	White
Information Source 1:	"State v. Charles Maestas, 2007 NMSC 1 (NM Sup. Ct., Dec. 13, 2006) (Reversing convictions and ordering retrial.)"
Information Location 1:	https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2565470/state-v-maestas/
Information Source 2:	"Ex-judge gets jail in courtroom sex deals, By News Service, Chicago Tribune, August 25, 2003"
Information Location 2:	http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-08-25/news/0308250236_1_courtroom-sentences-prison
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Charles Maestas

Charge:

Sexual Assault and Bribery

Sentence:

3 years

Years Imprisoned:

2.67

Year Crime:

2002

Year Convicted:

2003

Year Cleared:

2007

U.S. State or Country of Crime:

New Mexico

County or Region of Crime:

Rio Arriba

City of Crime:

Espanola

Result:

Judicially Exonerated

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

Innocence Proved By:

"Maestas was acquitted on July 27, 2007 of all the sexual penetration counts, and four of the official misconduct counts after a retrial. On September 5, 2007 the motion by the Rio Arriba District Attorney to dismiss the remaining official misconduct count was granted."

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

Was Perpetrator Identified?

Age When Imprisoned:

40

Age When Released:

43

Sex:

Male

Skin/Ethnicity:

White

Information Source 1:

"State v. Charles Maestas, 2007 NMSC 1 (NM Sup. Ct., Dec. 13, 2006) (Reversing convictions and ordering retrial.)"

Information Location 1:

https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/2565470/state-v-maestas/

Information Source 2:

"Ex-judge gets jail in courtroom sex deals, By News Service, Chicago Tribune, August 25, 2003"

Information Location 2:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2003-08-25/news/0308250236_1_courtroom-sentences-prison

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Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

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Movie About Case:

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