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Joran Van der Sloot Pleads Guilty, Gets "Anticipated Conclusion"

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Wed Jan 11, 2012 at 10:44:55 AM EST
Tags: Joran Van der Sloot (all tags)
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Joran Van der Sloot pleaded guilty today to Murder with Aggravated Circumstances and Simple Theft. He's now eligible for up to 10 years off the requested 30 year sentence, but the decision rests with the three judge panel. Larger photo here.

Summary: Joran offered his sincere confession. The trial was concluded and the case moved to "Anticipated Conclusion." (See here for explanation.)

Joran's attorney gave his sentencing statement asking for a lesser sentence since he pleaded guilty under the anticipated conclusion law. In mitigation, he said Joran was only 21 at the time of the crime, had PTSD from being wrongfully accused and hounded by the media for five years over the disappearance of Natalie Holloway and the recent death of his father.

My live blog with a rough transcript of the court hearing is below: [More....]

Rough transcript:

Judge offers Joran a Dutch interpreter. He declines.

Judge tells him he heard the charges the other day and asks how he wants to plead.

Joran says he will avail himself of his anticipated confession.

He wants to give a sincere confession. "I am truly regretful, I feel really bad." You are guilty of the facts? Yes.

He accepts the charges with their full consequences and ramifications.

The judge then turns to the first driver. He says he is not guilty of covering up anything.
The second and third cab drivers plead not guilty.

Joran’s lawyer can now make a statement.

In view of my client’s confession, I would like to come to the anticpated conclusion of this trial.

Background matters: This statement must consider the totality of the penalty and the financial imposition to be imposed. I would like to say some elements the court must consider in making its final resolution.

My client, Joran, May 30, 2010 was 21 years old. He was persecuted, he was faced against the entire world for the last five years because of an occurrence he did not commit, and for which there was no evidence – the disappearance of Natalie Holloway. Added to the recent death of his father before these events. These are all part of the baggage my client carried with him and which affected him that day.

Traumatic stress disorder. This concept is in