Judicial appointments rubber stamped over protests

At a late night special sitting of the National Assembly, two Supreme Court Judges and an alternative got the anticipated rubber stamp approval from the Credentials Committee. 
A second alternative accused of hiding evidence of her daughter’s involvement in a driving episode that killed a three year old child and left the mother in a coma, was rejected.
Ratified at midnight, on Wednesday over the objections of many citizens and civil rights groups were Jose Abel Almengor and Alexander Moncada as new judges of the Supreme Court.
Wilfredo Saenz got the nod as an alternate.
The second rubber stamp came  on Christmas Eve  when the Assembly ratified the appointments by a vote of 40-17.
The appointment of Zaira Latorraca Santamaría was not confirmed by The Credentials Committee.
There had been a public outcry when it was revealed than in January 2003, her daughter Sherina Lattoracca was the driver of a BMW that killed Jovany Glaimir Murrillo and put his mother Kathia Guerra in a coma.
It was alleged that the mother sent the car to a repair shop to cover up evidence of the event.
Kathia, who had condemned the nomination, was in the Assembly when the ratifications were announced.
All the names had been forwarded to the Assembly by President Ricardo Martinelli.
In place of Santamaria, the name of Judith Cossú de Herrera who serves as a judge in juvenile court has been mentioned.
Her name was on the list of candidiates prepared by the Special Commission appointed by Martinelli to screen applicants for the vacancies.
La Prensa reported that Martinelli was not upset that one of his appointments had been rejected, saying it was part of the democratic process."I respect the decision that was made," he said.
During the approval process, civil groups had opposed the nominations because Martinelli had failed to follow the recommendations of a committee he had appointed to narrow the field of applicants.
They said approving his nominees, one of whom served under Dictator Manuel Noriega and is close to ex- President Ernesto Perez Balladares, currently under investigation for corruption, would be a blow to the independence of the judicial body.