Naval Officer Wrongfully Convicted (Acquitted)

Friends and family,

On July 1st, 2022, we celebrated that our beloved husband, son, brother, and friend Manny (LCDR Manual Dominguez) was found NOT GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES through a military Court Martial retrial. Before the acquittal, Manny spent almost 2 years (22.5 months) in military prison, unjustly convicted in February of 2020 for allegations of child abuse brought by his ex-wife during a contested divorce. The retrial resulted in a jury of Navy Officers agreeing with the defense: that the allegations were false, and they returned the not guilty verdict that probably would have been reached the first time had the original judge not abused judicial discretion.

During the first trial, Manny was tried on 6 specifications and convicted on 3, resulting in a sentence of 16 years in military prison. One month later, the pandemic hit, the world shut down, and many people forgot about an innocent man locked away. During his appeal to the Navy Marine Corps Court of Appeals (NMCCA), 3 senior judges found that Manny’s original judge ABUSED JUDICIAL DISCRETION ON NO LESS THAN 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. The NMCCA overturned his conviction and sent his case for a rehearing in October of 2021. Manny was released from prison in December of 2021. Two weeks ago, his retrial resulted in a verdict of NOT GUILTY ON ALL CHARGES. Finally, Manny can start to rebuild his life!

That’s where you come in, and why we are here on GoFundMe. Since the date of the original allegations in February of 2017, Manny has amassed a debt exceeding $150,000. He needed to empty the entirety of his Thrift Savings Plan (which he had built over 16 years of serving in the Navy), get personal loans, and charge credit cards to pay for the legal fees associated with both trials and the appeal process.

Normally people who are wrongfully convicted could sue for compensation; however, as a member of the Armed Forces, Manny is legally prevented from suing the military to recuperate any of these financial losses.[1] While the Navy is required to back pay Manny for time spent in prison, there is no timeline for this to be completed. It could take more than a year for that process to be completed. Meanwhile, Manny is struggling to pay off personal loans and credit card statements against rising interest payments that were waiting for him for 2 years.

Additionally, his career in the Navy was hindered by false allegations. Before the wrongful conviction, Manny was on a career trajectory to become a senior-level officer. While he is reinstated, progressing through the ranks after two years will be challenging, if not impossible. Anybody who knows Manny understands that he will make the best out of a terrible situation, and he will serve in the Navy as long as possible. While not being able to continue serving his country is a daunting thought, Manny has expressed a desire to study military law as another means to serve and demonstrate his patriotism.

Now that Manny is acquitted, this GoFundMe is an attempt to help him get out of debt and get back on track. James and I have known Manny for decades and regardless of his circumstances, he will be the first to offer a hand. He has a genuine and thoughtful demeanor, and we would love to help alleviate the financial burdens this traumatic experience has caused him to have.

Please consider donating and sharing this story to show your support for Manny. We are creating a modest goal of $30,000 to support him until he can begin getting repaid for his lost wages.

Thank you for your time reading, time spent sharing, and any donation.

Sincerely, Crystal Smith

[1] Can Active Duty military sue the U.S. Army, Navy or Air Force? (nationaltriallaw.com)