Fernando
Lopez-Susano, who was living in the United States illegally, and his
attorney, Jay Kohler, came before Seventh District Judge Greg Moeller
for sentencing. Lopez pleaded guilty to the sexual abuse charge via an
Alford plea last year. In an Alford plea a defendant maintains his
innocence but acknowledges that there is enough evidence to convict him.
Lopez
originally faced a charge of lewd conduct with a minor under the age of
16 as well as the charge of sexual abuse of a minor under the age of
16. He later pleaded guilty to the latter charge in exchange for the
first charge being dropped by the Madison County prosecutor.
,,,
Kohler presented Moeller with several
certificates that Lopez received while in prison. The certificates are
from the 12-step Addiction Recovery Program of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints that Lopez regularly attended. Kohler also
gave Moeller several letters from an LDS bishop, LDS Sunday School
teachers at the jail and LDS missionaries who had interacted with Lopez.
“It’s
relevant from our perspective that (Lopez) has not sat in jail watching
the clock. He has taken steps to better himself and is making an effort
to involve himself in some degree of Christianity,” Kohler said.
Lopez gets up to 16 years for sexual abuse of child | Local News | rexburgstandardjournal.com
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