Wander Franco Criminally Responsible, Gets No Jail
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- Wander Franco was declared criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor by Dominican Judge José Antonio Núñez, but was granted a judicial pardon and will not serve a sentence; full sentencing is scheduled for June 16.
- The minor's mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually trafficking her daughter, and the judge justified Franco's pardon by finding he was a "material victim" of her extortion and blackmail.
- The judge himself acknowledged the ruling seemed "contradictory" — declaring criminal responsibility while exempting Franco from punishment — but defended the pardon as "logical and legal reasoning."
- Franco was arrested in January 2024 after being accused of a four-month relationship with a 14-year-old and transferring thousands of dollars to the girl's mother to consent to the illegal relationship.
- The Tampa Bay Rays placed Franco on the restricted list six months after his arrest, cutting off his pay from the 11-year, $182 million contract he signed in November 2021.
- MLB said it "will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time" under the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy.
Why it matters: Franco escapes criminal punishment in the Dominican Republic, but MLB's separate investigation under its domestic violence policy could still sideline him from baseball — the Rays are holding his $182 million contract in limbo while the league completes its review, leaving his career and the team's massive investment unresolved.
