Guatemala Larkin Morales Case: Carlos Acevedo Trial Moves to Tenth Court
GUATEMALA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- —What happened On 29 September 2026 an appeals chamber accepted a recusal against the Ninth Sentencing Court and sent the trial of Carlos Acevedo Navas to the Tenth, Prensa Libre reported.
- —The case Acevedo, 74 at the time, is accused of attempted homicide for repeatedly ramming motorcyclist Larkin Morales in Guatemala City on 25 September 2025.
- —The victim Morales, then 26 and a nursing student, lost a leg; a video of the attack spread widely on social media.
- —Where it stands Acevedo has been under house arrest since 2 July 2026 on bail of 15,000 quetzales (about US$1,960, Banguat rate of 30 September 2026).
- —Still open The Tenth Court has not yet named the judge or set a date for the trial, which was first due to open on 23 July 2026.
The Larkin Morales case gets a new trial court after two months of suspension, but no date yet for the hearing.
In Guatemala’s Larkin Morales case, an appeals court has moved the attempted-homicide trial of driver Carlos Acevedo Navas to a new court. The Second Criminal Appeals Chamber accepted a recusal against the Ninth Sentencing Court on Tuesday 29 September 2026, Prensa Libre reported.
A new court after a two-month standstill
A recusal is a formal request to remove a judge whose impartiality one side doubts. The appeals chamber ruled that the Ninth Sentencing Court should step aside and sent the file to the Tenth Sentencing Court.
In Guatemala, a first-instance judge oversees the investigation and decides whether a case goes to trial. A separate sentencing court then hears the evidence and delivers the verdict.
The Tenth Court must now assign a single judge and set a date for the trial to open, Prensa Libre reported. Neither had been announced by the morning of 30 September.
The attack that started the case
On 25 September 2025, a car repeatedly struck motorcyclist Larkin Daniel Morales Cuque in zone 9 of Guatemala City, the capital. The car hit him even after he was pinned against another vehicle, Prensa Libre reported.
Morales, then 26, lost a leg. “I had a life ahead of me, I was studying nursing and I could not continue,” he said in June 2026.
Prosecutors accuse Carlos Ovidio Acevedo Navas, who was 74 at the time, of being the driver. He has said the collision was an accident.
From injury charge to attempted homicide
The case was first classified as causing serious injuries. On 13 October 2025 the Third Appeals Chamber raised the charge to attempted homicide.
The chamber cited evidence of intent and a risk that Acevedo would flee. It revoked his earlier release and ordered him held.
On 21 October 2025 Judge Maximino Morales of the Second Criminal Court sent Acevedo to the pre-trial detention centre in zone 18. The judge shares a surname with the victim, and no family link has been reported.
On 2 June 2026 the same judge sent Acevedo to trial and rejected a defence request to declare him mentally unfit. On 9 June he admitted all the evidence and set the trial for 23 July at the Ninth Sentencing Court.
House arrest and the challenge to the court
On 2 July 2026, Judge Verónica Ruiz Blau of the Ninth Court moved Acevedo to house arrest. He had spent over eight months in detention.
The judge banned him from leaving the country and set bail at 15,000 quetzales, about US$1,960. She ruled that the risk of flight had disappeared.
Her ruling cited a circular from the Supreme Court asking judges to use pre-trial detention only as a last resort.
“If this case does not end well, we are lost as a country,” said Mónica Cuque, the victim’s mother.
On 23 July, the day the trial was due to open, the defence and the victim’s lawyer both challenged the court. The victim’s side argued that different judges had ruled on different steps of the case.
The judge of the Ninth Court rejected both requests, and the file went up to the Second Appeals Chamber. The trial has been suspended since then.
Acevedo absent from Tuesday’s hearing
Acevedo did not attend the hearing on 29 September, although he had filed the recusal himself, said the lawyer for Morales. The lawyer said he hoped the absence would have legal consequences.
Acevedo remains free under the substitute measures, which include house arrest and monthly check-ins with the Public Ministry, the state prosecution service.
A wider debate on pre-trial detention
The ruling came on the same day that Congress approved Decree 23-2026, a reform of the Criminal Procedure Code on pre-trial detention. Prensa Libre said the reform responds to gaps in the law that have fed prison overcrowding.
The reform bars substitute measures for intentional homicide, murder, kidnapping, extortion and drug crimes. It also tells judges to favour substitute measures when a defendant is over 65.
The decree still needs the president’s signature and publication in the official gazette to take effect.
What it means for residents
For residents and visitors, the case shows how Guatemala’s courts often work. Stages are far apart, and parties often challenge judges.
A year after the attack, the trial has still not opened.
The charge of attempted homicide stands and all the evidence has been admitted, so the next step is procedural. The Tenth Court’s choice of judge and date will show how quickly the case can now move.
More: Guatemala news, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Larkin Morales?
Larkin Daniel Morales Cuque lost a leg after a car repeatedly struck his motorcycle in Guatemala City on 25 September 2025. He was 26 and studying nursing at the time. A video of the attack spread widely on social media.
Who is Carlos Acevedo Navas?
Carlos Ovidio Acevedo Navas is the driver accused of attempted homicide in the case. He was 74 when the attack happened and has said it was an accident. He has been under house arrest since 2 July 2026.
When will the trial start?
No date has been set. The appeals chamber sent the case to the Tenth Sentencing Court on 29 September 2026. That court must now assign a judge and schedule the trial.
\n
What is the background to Larkin Morales Case?
\n
The Tenth Court has not yet named the judge or set a date for the trial, which was first due to open on 23 July 2026.
\n
Sources: Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Prensa Libre · Banco de Guatemala (exchange rate)
Read More from The Rio Times