Brenda Martin in tears at final hearing

Praxius

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Brenda Martin walks back to her cell after an exclusive interview with CTV's W-FIVE from a Guadalajara prison in Mexico.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080413/court_martin_080414/20080414?hub=Canada

Brenda Martin, held in a Mexican prison for over two years on fraud charges, burst into tears at her final hearing Monday after the judge said he wouldn't guarantee a ruling in her case by Friday.

"In the beginning, she was very composed, she listened to the judge and through her translator she made her statement," CTV's Lisa LaFlamme reported from Guadalajara.

"The things she said in English were that she's innocent and she wants to go home to see her family."

Previous reports had suggested that the judge was planning on rendering a decision by April 18.

Instead, he told Martin that he had 30 business days to make a decision.

"When she found out that indeed she may not find out by Friday... she basically collapsed into tears and needed to be escorted in handcuffs out of the office space that was doubling as this public hearing room," said LaFlamme.

The judge did say he intended to "issue a statement as soon as possible" and that he would not exceed the 30-day period, LaFlamme reported.

Martin has been held in custody since February 2006. She is accused of knowingly accepting illicit funds from an Internet fraud scheme operated by Alyn Waage. Martin had been Waage's chef until she was fired.

Waage, in prison in the U.S., has issued an affidavit in support of Martin, who has long professed her innocence.

If found guilty, Martin faces a prison sentence of at least five years.


Sorry, but how do you not know that your boss is running an internet fraud scheme and that you are given money from it? What was their company's ligit business? If she was handling the money, wouldn't she be an accountant for that company, and therefore shouldn't she be asking where this money is coming from?

She's guilty as sin, lock her sobbing ass away.

LaFlamme said there was "no direct evidence proving that Brenda Martin knowingly accepted illicit funds."

How do you not know you're given illicit funds? "Hey boss.... where'd this money come from?" ~ Simple question to ask.

I bet she knew exactly what was going on and her boss promised to cover her ass if she helped him.... he was caught, he's guilty of the whole thing and now is trying to claim she's innocent? I don't think so Abe.

After she was fired by Waage, Martin was given $26,000, said LaFlamme. She invested $9,600 of that money back in Waage's company and after he was arrested he refunded $8,600 to her. The money was refunded through a bank account in Belize, said LaFlamme.

"The prosecution is trying to say that because this money that she was given from Allan Waage came from an offshore account she must have known that there was something illegal about it and that she tried to conceal it," said LaFlamme.

Deerrrr.... I'd say so. Ignorance is not an excuse from the law and avoiding asking obvious questions to cover your ass isn't a scape goat from the law either.

Martin claims she never knew or asked where the money came from.


She didn't ask because she knew and didn't ask to cover her ass.... it's as simple as that. She was promised that she would be covered and not goto jail, and here she sits, sobbing her sorry ass over being an idiot and trying to play the emotion card through the media.... it's sick.

"One of the new things about today is that apparently the judge has separated Brenda Martin from the other people that were allegedly involved in this," said LaFlamme.
"Her lawyer is certainly looking at this as some very good news."

The 51-year-old, originally from Trenton, Ont., has complained of deteriorating mental and physical health as a result of her incarceration. Some of her supporters have expressed fear for her life.

Boo fricken Hoo...

Rebecca Roth, an American arrested for her alleged role in the scam, was also present at the hearing Monday.

"She was the bookkeeper where Brenda Martin was the chef," said LaFlamme.
Roth also claims she was not involved in any fraudulent activity.

So she's the "Cook" and yet handed all that money? For what reason?

What a scam.... pathetic.
 

mt_pockets1000

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She gets her day in court, which is all the public was asking for in the first place. Guess the Mexican government got a little concerned when Canadians threatened to cut back on tourist travel to that country. Here was a case where public outcry made a difference. It got these slack officials off their duff and straight to the job at hand.
 

mt_pockets1000

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Her lawyers are saying the prosecution don't have any direct evidence linking her to the scandal....hmmm....as well, the prosecution don't have any witnesses.....

Seems they're basing their arguments on speculation and circumstantial evidence. Welcome to justice Mexican style. If she's found not guilty the Canadian government should put pressure on the Mexican's to pay her retribution for two lost years of her life.

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=ca83c86c-86aa-4268-a543-c0f5d4919d9c
 

Praxius

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Seems they're basing their arguments on speculation and circumstantial evidence. Welcome to justice Mexican style.

Yeah I actually like it :lol:

I mean come on..... she was a Cook for the company? Did they work on a boat or something? WTF kind of stupid excuse is that, seriously? What internet company has a cook? Better yet, once again... what was their ligitamate business besides being an Internet Scam Company?

She was the "Chef" yet: "After she was fired by Waage, Martin was given $26,000, said LaFlamme."

Who the hell get's $26,000 to a cook after firing them? Why would he give her that much and give her that title, unless to launder it?

It's BS loopholes as I see it to scape goat the law.

Then again, I would like to hear what they have against her, rather then the above responses claiming "They have nothing" by those defending her.

To me, she's guilty without reasonable doubt, because her explinations are not plausable or logical and has no real defense. This seems to come down to a He Said/She Said situation where both hold nothing relivent except to use one's common sense based on the information provided and thus, there is more leaning towards her guilt then there is for her innocence, and emotional appeals to the media arn't swaying me any.
 
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Praxius

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Update:


Jailed Canadian Brenda Martin is seen holding the hand of her lawyer at her hearing in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Monday, April 14, 2008.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...0414/lawyer_martin_080415/20080415?hub=Canada

The lawyer representing Brenda Martin, a Canadian woman who has been imprisoned in Mexico for two years, said his client was shocked when a judge told her he could take up to 30 days to issue a ruling on her case.

Martin had hoped for a decision by the end of the week but was told by a judge on Monday not to count on it.

"Unfortunately it was a big shock to her. That news wasn't the best for her but I'm pretty confident at some point the judge is going to rule sooner than the 30 business days," Martin's lawyer Guillermo Cruz Rico told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday.

He said he is worried about Martin's health: "I'm a little bit afraid about Brenda's condition because her mental and physical shape is not the best."

Martin, of Trenton, Ont., has been in jail on charges she took part in a fraud and money laundering scheme carried out by her former boss.

Martin, who was working as a chef, maintains she is innocent and had no knowledge of the scheme.

Cruz said the judge must review the entire case, including submissions from the prosecution and the defence, which was submitted just a few days ago, which will take some time.

However, he said he is confident the judge will rule in Martin's favour and she will be released.

After the ruling on Monday, Martin was visited by a Canadian consular official who asked her to sign a form allowing for a prison transfer to Canada if she were found guilty. She declined to sign it, believing it would be an admission of guilt, CTV's Lisa LaFlamme reported on Monday.

Cruz said Martin is waiting before she signs any such document.

"I think Brenda wants to wait until the decision is made because she believes, and actually I believe as well, that she is not guilty and if she is not guilty for sure she doesn't have to sign those papers," he said.

Cruz said the judge must review the entire case, including submissions from the prosecution and the defence, which was submitted just a few days ago, which will take some time.

Martin has been held in custody since February 2006. She is accused of knowingly accepting illicit funds from an Internet fraud scheme operated by Alyn Waage. Martin had been Waage's chef until she was fired.

Waage, in prison in the U.S., has issued an affidavit in support of Martin, who has long professed her innocence.

If found guilty, Martin faces a prison sentence of at least five years.

LaFlamme said there was "no direct evidence proving that Brenda Martin knowingly accepted illicit funds."

After she was fired by Waage, Martin was given $26,000, said CTV's Lisa LaFlamme. She invested $9,600 of that money back in Waage's company and after he was arrested he refunded $8,600 to her. The money was refunded through a bank account in Belize, said LaFlamme.

"The prosecution is trying to say that because this money that she was given from Alyn Waage came from an offshore account she must have known that there was something illegal about it and that she tried to conceal it," said LaFlamme.

Martin claims she never knew or asked where the money came from.


Jailed Canadian Brenda Martin busts into tears after learning the judge won't guarantee a ruling in her case by the end of the week on Monday, April 14, 2008.
 

lone wolf

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And today, the cat is out of the bag. Ms Martin plans on marketing bracelets made by the other gals on her cellblock when she gets back to Canada.

Answer me this.... If you've spent two absolutely terrible years in a place that's driven you to drug addiction and suicidal depression, are you going to want to bring the memories back with you? It's a marketing gimmick and TV news is the patsy.

Woof!
 

Praxius

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Not to mention that evil beauty pageant she was in while there, the fast food she got to pig down when she was in the hospital because she didn't eat the food they gave here.... she's a frickin priss and I would love to see her thrown into a "Real" jail.
 

Praxius

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Update:

Brenda Martin says she suffers from drug addiction
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNe...0414/lawyer_martin_080415/20080415?hub=Canada

Brenda Martin says she's become addicted to anti-anxiety medication during her time inside a Mexican prison, but staff psychiatrists are dismissing her claim.

During an interview with CTV's Lisa LaFlamme Tuesday at the prison, Martin gave a list of the various medications she says she takes on a regular basis.

"I'm addicted to anti-depressants, sleeping pills, anti-stress pills, pain-killers by injection, anti-anxiety injections," she said.

But a prison psychologist countered that Martin has not had the hellish prison experience she claims, noting that she once took part in a prison beauty pageant.

Pictures of the event were leaked to the media; Martin described it as a smear campaign.

"How dirty pool is that? To make me look like, wow, I was the queen," she said. "I mean, I'm supposed to be guilty now because I went into a pageant?"

Certainly doesn't help your moaning about being in a hell hole that you need to be drugged up all the time.... give me a break.

The rest of the article is basically the same information already provided in previous articles.

Is anybody else seeing how much of a drama queen she is..... she's so damn guilty it's a sin. I hope they lock her away for a long time down there. Then she can be the queen of all the pageants she likes.