PUERTO PLATA, Dominican Republic (AP) — An appeals court in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday ordered a new trial for Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Wander Franco, who was convicted earlier this year of sexually abusing a minor and had received a two-year suspended sentence.

Tuesday’s ruling comes after Franco’s attorneys had pushed to have his conviction suspended and sentencing overturned, while prosecutors had been seeking a five-year sentence.

The appeals court ruled in favor of Franco, ordering that a new panel of judges oversee the case.

“The court understood that there were many flaws, many omissions...many issues, and decided to send the case to a new trial,” said Teodosio Jáquez, Franco’s attorney.

Meanwhile, prosecutor José Martínez Montan, the district attorney for the province of

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