Convicted attorney Oscar Selgado faces sentencing for abetment to murder

Published by BBNTEAM at May 14, 2024

Posted: Tuesday, May 14, 2024. 1:08 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: A medical episode brought an abrupt end to proceedings in the High Court on Monday for convicted attorney, Oscar Selgado, found guilty in March of abetment to murder.

Selgado experienced a near-fainting spell in court and Justice Nigel Pilgrim adjourned the case until Friday morning, May 17.

Selgado, represented by Arthur Saldivar and previously by Adolph Lucas Senior, called two mitigating witnesses to address different aspects of his life and character.

Former Chief Magistrate, Sharon Fraser, is a diabetic like Selgado and attested to some of the challenges that diabetics endure. Frank Selgado, his brother, shared information about their humble upbringing opined that the conviction was a “mistake” in his life.

Selgado himself addressed the court, charging that the prison penalized him by putting him in solitary confinement without proper ventilation for making a phone call to the courthouse last Thursday to inquire if the documents for his temporary release for his appearance in court today were made out. He said he made the call because he heard from an employee at the prison that there were no documents for his appearance in court. The court ordered an investigation

Saldivar told reporters that he thinks the prison was too harsh on Selgado for calling and inquiring about his release papers: “I do believe that the prison for what he is said to have done, acted extreme, to say the least. A phone call does not warrant a trip to solitary confinement. He was not threatening anybody. He was not making himself a menace. He was simply querying as to whether or not his removal order was properly processed for him to be here today.

As for his client’s ultimate sentence, which could extend to as much as life imprisonment, Saldivar said that the state can and should make use of their training to the benefit of others as a part of their punishment, rather than to tolerate jeopardizing their lives: “A part of sentencing has to do with rehabilitation and reformation. Selgado has the real prospect of losing his livelihood, which is a very grave punishment in itself. What he also has, by virtue of the expertise that he has and the training that he has, is the ability to help a lot of poor people out here, not by coming to court for them, but by providing advice for them. So there should be other ways that we look at to punish him appropriately for this offense that has been committed, but without compromising his life and losing a resource that could otherwise be put to good use for the public at large.”

The proceeding resumes at 9:30 Friday morning.

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