Thursday, August 19, 2004
Probation for AIDS Institute Convict, or was it Parole? Maybe it was Bail Pending Appeal?
Evalúan Dar  Probatoria a Convicto Instituto Sida reads the headline in El Vocero, which  would translate into "Probation Being Considered for Convicted AIDS Institute."  This immediately called my attention, since I was aware that all of those  convicted had already been sentence to prison and two of them had appeals  pending before the First Circuit. It was once more, a case of the headline not  fitting the story. What was actually going on was that the federal Judge had  granted a government motion for denial of bail pending appeal. But even the  story itself was all messed up when it referred to parole ("libertad bajo  palabra"). Of course, what you have are reporters who mainly speak Spanish,  translating from English motions or orders they obtain, and then try to put it  into their own words in Spanish. Additionally you have a complete disconnect  between the reporter and the headline writer. Probation, parole, bail pending  appeal ....what's the difference? Don't they all mean the guy is not in jail?

