With the addition of courts in four criminal districts, Jalisco Tuesday became the 16th of Mexico’s 32 states to fully implement the nation’s new oral trial justice system, known as Nuevo Sistema de Justicia Penal.
The state managed to beat the federally mandated nationwide deadline of June 18 by 19 days.
Not everything went to plan, however.
Only two of the 16 courtrooms attached to the Puente Grande prison in the municipality of Tonala were ready for use. And only six judges were sworn in to hear cases in these courts that correspond to the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
Courts were also inaugurated Tuesday in the criminal district seats of Ocotlán, Colotlán and Cihuatlán. These courts join those already operating in Zapotlán El Grande (2), Puerto Vallarta (2), Chapala, Tepatitlán, Lagos de Moreno, Autlán, Ameca and Tequila.
The first courts in Jalisco opened in Zapotlán El Grande (Ciudad Guzman) in October 2014. Chapala’s sole courtroom was inaugurated in February of this year.
The introduction of an adversarial system similar to that followed in the United States and Canada, with prosecutors and defense lawyers making their cases in public before a judge, is designed to create a more transparent process and help restore the nation’s confidence in its judicial system and the rule of law.
Luis Carlos Vega Pámanes, president of the Jalisco Supreme Court, explained that Guadalajara’s remaining 14 courts would begin operating as demand required, but stressed that this – together with the appointment of more judges – also depends on the arrival of outstanding federal funds.
The cost of constructing and equipping 29 courts in 12 Jalisco cities was 986 million pesos ($US53 million), according to Supreme Court data.
Vega Pámanes acknowledged that sufficient administrative personnel have been hired to enable the new system to operate smoothly throughout the state.
According to the state Attorney General’s Office (FGE), 14 cases were filed before judges during the first day of work at the new courts: seven relating to car theft, two to home intrusions, three to robberies of businesses, one to criminal damage, and one to threatening behavior.
Reports in Guadalajara daily Milenio suggest that many FGE employees, including police officers and investigators attached to the Ministerio Publico (district attorney’s office), are still unclear about the obligations required of them under the new justice system.
María de los Ángeles Fromow, national technical director of the new system, estimated that around 14,000 people in Jalisco have recieved training on the operation on the new system.