OTTAWA - A Canadian woman detained for nearly two years in a Mexican jail now has at least a faint hope.
The crowded prison cell in Guadalajara, Mexico, is a long way from Brenda Martin's former home of Trenton, Ontario.
But it's the only home she has known for 22 months as she awaits trial for her alleged role in an investment scheme.
There's a slim chance a Mexican judge could release her on Monday -- her 51st birthday.
Toronto lawyer Guillermo Cruz will argue on Martin's behalf that his client's rights have been violated.
Under Mexican law, Cruz says, Martin should have been given a translator so she could understand the criminal charges she faces -- money laundering and participating in a criminal conspiracy.
Cruz plans to ask the judge to throw out the charges.
Martin's criminal trial is on hold until the judge rules on the civil-rights case.
Mexican authorities detained Martin after Alyn Waage, her former boss, was revealed as the mastermind behind an international pyramid scheme that bilked 15-thousand investors of nearly 60 (m) million dollars U-S.
