The Dominican Republic’s Constitutional Court has rejected an appeal filed by Army First Lieutenant Yarin Esteudy Novas Sena, who sought to overturn his 20-year prison sentence for the 2014 fatal shooting of two men. The court’s decision represents the final judicial resolution in a case that has spanned nearly a decade.
Novas Sena’s conviction stems from a December 2014 incident in Los Guaricanos, Santo Domingo Norte, where he shot and killed Manuel José Crespo Núñez (‘El Mello’) and Yarel Jesús Taveras Ulloa (‘El Guardia’). The lieutenant claimed the victims had assaulted him moments earlier, stealing cash and his cellular phone.
The constitutional appeal challenged Ruling No. 1305, issued by the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice on October 30, 2019, which had affirmed the original sentence handed down by the Collegiate Court of the Judicial District of Santo Domingo.
While the Constitutional Court acknowledged technical validity regarding filing deadlines due to improper notification procedures, it ultimately determined the appeal lacked substantive legal foundation. The court concurred with the Attorney General’s Office that the petition failed to meet requirements established by Law No. 137-11, the Organic Law of the Constitutional Court.
Judicial authorities noted that Novas Sena’s submission contained only superficial arguments without proper legal analysis. The appellant merely referenced constitutional provisions and criminal code articles—including Article 321 and 329(2) of the Criminal Code and Article 40.13 of the Constitution—without demonstrating their specific relevance to his case.
The court emphasized that such perfunctory legal references prevented meaningful judicial review, making it impossible to assess whether the challenged ruling contained procedural deficiencies or fundamental rights violations. This absence of substantive argumentation led to the appeal’s inadmissibility declaration, effectively upholding all previous judicial determinations. The court additionally exempted Novas Sena from bearing procedural costs.