By Breaking Belize News Staff: The inferior appeal filed by convicted Police Officer Juan Carlos Morales and BDF Soldier Ramon Alberto Alcoser is set to be heard before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court on July 23, 2026.
The two public officers were convicted on November 12, 2025, in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for perverting the course of justice. Their convictions stem from the investigation into the shooting death of BDF Soldier Jessie Escobar, who was killed in Santa Familia Village on Sunday, September 5, 2021.
In court on Thursday, it was noted that Morales and Alcoser had reportedly been misled into believing that they could not appeal their convictions until after sentencing was completed. As a result, they fell outside the 21-day filing period for an appeal against conviction, and the court had initially received documents relating only to an appeal against sentence.
Justice Sylvester has since granted the men the opportunity to file against both conviction and sentence.
The appellants are being represented by attorney Alifah Elrington, while the Crown is being represented by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal and Crown Counsel Maria Nembhard Santana.
Justice Sylvester ordered that the appellants’ grounds of appeal and written submissions be filed on or before July 10, 2026. The Crown is to file its response by July 23, 2026, when the matter is scheduled to resume for hearing.
Morales, a police officer, was sentenced to one year and 11 months, while Alcoser, a BDF soldier, was sentenced to one year and two months.
At their lower court trial, the Senior Magistrate found that the two men had lied and omitted key details in their statements regarding the 2021 shooting incident. Morales was previously represented by attorney Ellis Arnold, while Alcoser was represented by attorney Marcel Cardona.
The post Convicted cop and BDF soldier to have appeal heard in July appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: The inferior appeal filed by convicted Police Officer Juan Carlos Morales and BDF Soldier Ramon Alberto Alcoser is set to be heard before Justice Derick Sylvester in the High Court on July 23, 2026. The two public officers were convicted on November 12, 2025, in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court
The post Convicted cop and BDF soldier to have appeal heard in July appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
