New trial ordered for Rays shortstop Wander Franco after sexual abuse conviction
Franco was convicted in June of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl and paying her mother for her consent
By
Mike Axisa
•
1 min read
An appeals court in the Dominican Republic has ordered a new trial for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, according to the Associated Press. Franco was convicted of sexual abuse of a minor and given a two-year suspended sentence earlier this year. A new panel of judges has been ordered to oversee the case. It is unknown when the new trial will begin.
"The court understood that there were many flaws, many omissions, many issues, and decided to send the case to a new trial," Franco's attorney, Teodosio Jáquez, told the AP.
José Martínez Montan, the district attorney for the province of Puerto Plata and the prosecutor for the initial trial, said: "In a new trial, the procedures will be reevaluated. We won the case in the first trial, and we expect the same in the new trial."
In January 2024, prosecutors delivered roughly 600 pages of evidence alleging that Franco had a relationship with a 14-year-old girl for four months. He was also accused of providing the girl's mother with cash payments and a car in exchange for her consenting to the relationship. The girl's mother received a 10-year prison sentence.
While awaiting trial, Franco was arrested on a gun-related charge following an altercation in November 2024. He faces a separate legal case for the gun charge.
Once criminal proceedings in the Dominican Republic are complete, Franco will be investigated by MLB and will face a suspension under the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Criminal charges or a conviction are not required for discipline under the domestic violence policy.
Franco last played a game for the Rays on Aug. 12, 2023. He was on administrative leave from that day through July 10, 2024, when charges were filed. At that point, he was placed on the restricted list. Franco has not been paid nor received service time while on the restricted list. The 2025 season was Year 5 of the 11-year, $182 million contract extension he signed in November 2021.
Now 24, Franco was once one of the brightest young stars in the game. He finished third in the 2021 American League Rookie of the Year voting, despite playing only 70 games, and was an All-Star in 2022.
