Convicted Killers Appeal Rosado Murder Verdict; Court Reserves Decision

Two young men convicted for the brutal and senseless killing of seventy-year-old businessman Oscar Rosado Sr. are now fighting to overturn their convictions and sentences. Brandon Hughes, the man identified as the shooter, is serving a life sentence and won’t be eligible for parole for another thirty years. His accomplice, Jose Gomez, who admitted he only intended to rob the store, is doing twelve years and must serve at least eight before parole. Both men have been behind bars for less than two years, but today, they took their fight to the Court of Appeal. After two hours of intense arguments, the judges reserved their decision for a later date. Representing the state was Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Sheiniza Smith, while attorneys Orson ‘OJ’ Elrington and David McKoy argued on behalf of Hughes and Gomez. Smith told the court that the convictions were solid and reminded the bench of the devastating impact this crime had on Rosado’s family, arguing that justice demands the sentences stand. But the defense painted a very different picture. Elrington argued that the convictions were ‘unsafe,’ pointing to missing transcripts, incomplete notes, and the absence of a written judgment. He said without those, the defense couldn’t properly assess whether the trial judge misapplied the law, a situation he called a ‘tremendous miscarriage of justice.’ McKoy echoed those concerns for his client. Both attorneys are asking the court to throw out the convictions and sentences. For the Rosado family, though, this fight reopens old wounds. Oscar Rosado Jr. told us, quote: ‘They should be thankful their lives are in limbo. They should be thankful to be alive—because my dad is dead. My dad cannot ask for an appeal.’ End quote. The Court of Appeal will deliver its decision at a later date.