Cold case suspects find cases dismissed due to speedy trial act

http://www.khou.com/news/local/Cold-case-suspects-find-cases-dismissed-due-to-speedy-trial-act-142266885.html
Cold case suspects find cases dismissed due to speedy trial act
by Leigh Frillici / KHOU 11 News
Posted March 11, 2012, Updated March 12, 2012

::snipping2::
The cold-case investigators tracked down people like Alfredo Gomez and Mary Ann Rivera.　 Rivera is now 76 and living in Georgia. Police said she killed her husband 40 years ago in their Houston home when she threw grease on him.

But Gomez, Rivera and two others have all had their cases dismissed for the same reason.　 The court found they did not get a speedy trial.

"If you are where you are supposed to be, and you are not found to have fled or hiding out, speedy trial act is your best friend," said Gerald Treece, a KHOU 11 News legal analyst.

But, Treece said the "speedy trial act" will not affect all cold cases.

"You cannot benefit if you have changed your appearance, or are hiding out and moved to Costa Rica or something," Treece said.

As for Gomez, it meant his case was thrown out and he was free to return to the Houston home he had been living in for years. And Guerra believes other suspects living in plain sight for years may hear the same thing: case dismissed.　

"I think there are more cases coming that will have these same issues," said Guerra.

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