Designated Justice secretary meets with Senate president as part of confirmation process

Designated Justice Secretary Janet Parra Mercado

By The Star Staff

Designated Justice secretary Janet Parra Mercado attended a meeting on Wednesday morning with Senate President Thomas Rivera Schatz as part of her confirmation process before the upper chamber.

“It is a normal meeting like the ones he has had with other candidates,” Parra Mercado said in response to questions from the press. “It is basically a work meeting.”

Parra Mercado said the meeting focused on public policy and Justice Department issues. She said she remains confident in the process of her confirmation and that, after her meeting with Rivera Schatz, she will seek dialogue with other senators.

She added that she still has to complete the submission of required documents, like other nominees.

“I hope to complete it this week, since some procedures, such as financial reports, take time to prepare,” Parra Mercado said.

Regarding the possibility of a caucus to evaluate her nomination, Parra Mercado said she will wait for the decision of the Senate president.

“If the senator decides to hold a caucus, we will attend,” she said. She also said three senators have requested to meet with her.

Parra Mercado went on to address the breach of peace case in which Gov. Jenniffer González Colón is a witness. She said the determination of a possible agreement in the process falls to the governor.

“If there is a possibility of talks, they will be discussed with the governor so that she can decide,” she said.

Among her proposals for the Justice Department, Parra Mercado highlighted the creation of a specialized unit for crimes against the elderly and granting more power to prosecutors in court.

“We discussed these initiatives with the president of the Senate,” she said.

Regarding wiretapping as a tool for criminal investigation, the designated Justice secretary pointed out that the governor has indicated that it is not part of her platform.

“At the federal level it is effective, but in Puerto Rico we have a different idiosyncrasy,” she said. “A legal study would have to be done to evaluate its viability.”