Saldivar also gave us an update on Joseph Budna. He's the attorney who applied for constitutional relief in the kidnapping of Joseph Budna. He says the matter should get an initial hearing in November:
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Budna
"His should be in court in November."
Jules Vasquez
"Will you be able to demand that the state take measures to return him to Belize?"
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Budna
"We make no demands. We make requests. And there is an act. International, mutual cooperation act that allows for it to happen. Application is made pursuant to that act, and we see where it goes from there."
Reporter
"Talk to us about the challenges, or maybe there wouldn't be that you would have in a case like this with your client being in another country and in jail at that."
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Budna
"Well, as I said, we are going to be making an application to have him be brought to Belize, he would have to reside at the Lobe facility for the duration of this trial."
"But if that does not, if the powers that be don't comply with the request, then we will see what other measures can be made."
Reporter
"But you are on a contingency basis. Is that how you've taken this case? I'm not sure if that's, a legal term in terms of payment..."
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Budna
"No, because the Association of Defense Attorneys see this as a major constitutional infraction and have taken it upon ourselves to do what is necessary to ensure that at least the public recognize that we know that there was a breach in the rule of law."
Jules Vasquez
"Would you say that it is suspect that even though a police officer has been identified by the then acting Commissioner of Police in the now deputy, even though he was satisfied that a police officer has been identified, he has not been charged for kidnaping."
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Budna
"Yeah, it is somewhat surprising. But again, you know, one of the questions that came invariably with this thing is who is being protected and why?"
"Because we just saw recently where, I think it was Easy Glen, rolling down a barrel with a body in it. Man, that thing was widely circulated to the point where it became common knowledge who it was wheeling down that barrel. Well, it's much the same with most other crimes of this type. Once there's a video, the video is automatically placed in the public purview so the public can assist in investigations is the hallmark of community policing, Jules."
"Because again, it goes against everything they have claimed to be building the relationship with police and the community."
"Part of that relationship is mutualism. So the police do not have all the eyes and ears everywhere, but the public would be able to assist because you are more, you have more people in public with their phone cameras and what have you to be able to give information. So in a situation like this, where crime has been committed and clear that crime was committed, but that didn't go over there by himself."
"So it was incumbent upon the authorities to make the video known to the public so that people can assist in identifying who all were there."
Budna remains in a Guatemala City jail where he has not yet gone before a judge. He notes that despite his having been kidnapped and delivered to another country - police continue to hold onto his vehicle and refuse to give it to his family.
