Penal - Rol N° O-492-2018

The case involved Sebastián Emmanuel López Vergara, who was detained on February 24, 2018, in Valparaíso. Police found 106.7 grams of cannabis sativa in his vehicle. The prosecution accused him of drug trafficking under articles 1° and 4° of Law No. 20,000, seeking a sentence of 4 years imprisonment and a fine. The defense argued for acquittal based on violations of due process and insufficient evidence. The court, while finding the identity check and vehicle search legal, acquitted López Vergara due to insufficient proof regarding the nature of the substance found, as no chemical analysis or other conclusive evidence was presented. The court emphasized that the smell of marijuana was not sufficient to confirm it was cannabis sativa. The legal provisions considered were primarily articles from Law No. 20,000 and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

• Datos básicos del caso: * Tribunal: Tribunal de Juicio Oral en lo Penal de Valparaíso. * RUC: 1800191750-8. * RIT: 492-2018. * Fecha de la sentencia: 22 de enero de 2019. * Tipo de procedimiento: Juicio oral.

• Hechos acreditados: * El 24 de febrero de 2018, aproximadamente a las 17:30 horas, en Avenida Errázuriz, a la altura de la Plaza Aduana de Valparaíso, Nombre fue detenido por personal policial. * Se encontró en el interior del vehículo placa patente única TY-8478, la cantidad de 106,7 gramos brutos de cannabis sativa. * El acusado no contaba con la autorización competente. * El acusado fue detenido luego de que el vehículo que conducía no respetara la luz roja del semáforo, lo que motivó un control policial.

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