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Appeals court hears claims of jury bias at 'El Chapo' trial

El Chapo Sentencing
Posted at 6:08 PM, Oct 25, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-25 18:08:50-04

NEW YORK (AP) — A lawyer for Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman says the U.S. conspiracy conviction of the notorious Mexican drug lord should be thrown out.

Attorney Marc Fernich made the argument before a federal appeals court on Monday, telling the three-judge panel that the jury for Guzman flouted admonitions to avoid media accounts of the case.

A federal prosecutor said there was no valid evidence of juror misconduct.

Guzman was sentenced in 2019 to life behind bars for a massive drug conspiracy that spread murder and mayhem for more than two decades.

The panel will rule at a late date.