Appeals Court Hears Claims of Jury Bias at ‘El Chapo’ Trial

NEW YORK—An appeals tribunal should overturn the U.S. conspiracy condemnation of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman due to the fact that of claims that his anonymous assemblage flouted warnings to debar media accounts of the case, a lawyer for Guzman urged a three-judge sheet connected Monday, catching the attraction of astatine slightest 1 judge.

In oral arguments earlier the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals successful New York, lawyer Marc Fernich cited a quality study that during deliberations jurors were exposed to salacious claims that were barred from the trial, including that Guzman sexually abused girls helium referred to arsenic “vitamins” that gave him energy.

Fernich argued the tribunal should bid a caller proceedings oregon astatine slightest telephone for a proceeding connected the alleged assemblage misconduct. He asked the judges to defy immoderate “punitive impulse” toward idiosyncratic who was formed arsenic a “public enemy” similar gangster Al Capone.

“The feline is going to beryllium successful a container for the remainder of his life,” Fernich said. “I’m not asking you to play violins for him. This is his past shot.”

The ineligible claims resonated with Circuit Judge Gerard E. Lynch, who said it was “a not atrocious argument.”

“This is superior stuff,” the justice aboriginal added.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Hiral Mehta argued the little tribunal was close to cull the defence petition for a proceeding connected the assemblage contented due to the fact that determination was nary valid grounds of misconduct. He said the Vice News study — based connected a post-conviction interrogation with a juror who wasn’t named — amounted to “hearsay and treble hearsay.”

Guzman was sentenced successful 2019 to beingness down bars for a monolithic cause conspiracy that dispersed execution and mayhem for much than 2 decades.

Before the national case, helium had attained near-mythical presumption by escaping from situation doubly successful Mexico, the 2nd clip done a passageway dug into the ablution of his cell. He was recaptured and sent successful 2017 to the United States and enactment successful solitary confinement.

At trial, Guzman’s lawyers argued helium was the autumn feline for different kingpins who were amended astatine paying disconnected apical Mexican politicians and instrumentality enforcement officials to support them.

The judges, portion sounding unfastened to the arguments astir imaginable juror prejudice, showed little patience with different assertion that Guzman’s defence was unfairly hindered by the strict presumption of confinement that were imposed successful effect to his estimation arsenic an flight artist.

Lynch challenged Fernich’s characterization that Guzman was thrown into a “modern dungeon,” pointing retired that his lawyers had changeless entree to him starring up to the trial.

“He’s not isolated from the world,” Lynch said. “He’s seeing radical connected a regular basis.”

The sheet volition regularisation astatine a aboriginal date.