Judge removed in Sanz extortion case

A judge will be removed from the case of two people charged with attempting to blackmail Alejandro Sanz because of biased comments made in court, a state appeals panel ruled Wednesday.

The 3rd District Court of Appeal agreed with prosecutors that Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Rosa Rodriguez might not be fair to both sides after accusing a Sanz lawyer of "playing games" and threatening him with jail in a dispute over the singer's deposition.

Sanz, whose real name is Alejandro Sanchez Pizarro, had objected to his deposition being videotaped. At a hearing in October, Rodriguez said "we don't play games and have sideshows," and said she would order the videotaped deposition to take place.

"I don't know what the deal is with this guy," Rodriguez also said. "I have never seen a case where you have an alleged victim of an alleged crime who doesn't want to show up and testify."

The appeals panel agreed with State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle that Rodriguez's comments indicated she might be biased against Sanz during trial, which is scheduled for February. Rodriguez didn't immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

"If the trial judge considers the alleged victim to be a game-player whose actions are absurd, then the state ... runs the risk that the trial court's findings might be influenced by these expressed impressions," the appeals court said.

The video deposition was eventually taken, despite Sanz's objections that it was an unnecessary privacy intrusion.

Accused in the extortion case are Sylvia Alzate, 48, and her 37-year-old husband Carlos Gonzalez. Both formerly worked for the 39-year-old singer at his Miami Beach mansion. Authorities claim they threatened to release damaging information about Sanz to news media unless they were paid $500,000.

Both have pleaded not guilty and are free on bail. It wasn't immediately clear Wednesday which judge would now be assigned to handle the case.

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On the Net:

3rd District Court of Appeal:

http://www.3dca.flcourts.org/