Senators pass a sweeping, tougher criminal code
![](https://dominicantoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/A206D1DE-3881-4D47-8253-CED15AB76DD2.jpeg)
Santo Domingo.- The amended criminal procedural coderecently passed by the Senate states that police can make an arrest a without acourt order when the person has objects, weapons, instruments, evidence or papersin their power which lead to probablecause that they’re the perpetrator or accomplice of a felony and can hide or fleethe crime scene.
Another change is that a lawyer will be appointed for thevictim and not just the accused. This would be applied if the crime carries a five-yearprison sentence.
The Senators also approved to extend the pre-trialdetention period from 12 to 36 months; establish conciliation on domesticviolence only if doesn’t endanger the victim’s physical or psychologicalintegrity; eliminates the statute of limitations on crimes, and reinstates nightraids on drug trafficking cases.
The legislation nowgoes to the Chamber of Deputies.