(Eagle News) — A regional trial court in Olongapo City has ordered the release of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton who was convicted for the killing of Filipino transgender Jennifer Laude in 2014.
Olongapo RTC branch 74 Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde approved the partial motion for reconsideration submiited by Pemberton, and considered that the US soldier had already served his sentence of more than 10 years imprisonment after computing the period of his preventive suspension, actual service of sentence and good conduct time allowance.
The court said that Pemberton had already served 10 years, one month and 10 days of imprisonment, which is more than the 10 years maximum penalty imposed by the court.
However, the actual days he had served in prison were only 2,142 days or roughly equivalent to five years and 10 months of imprisonment. The rest were due to GCTA during preventive imprisonment (260 days) and GCTA during service of sentence (1,288 days) of 1548 days or four years and almost three months period.
The judge also said that Pemberton had already paid the P4.6 million in damages to the victim’s family.
(Eagle News Service)