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'El Chapo' Guzmán: Dozen jurors picked for drug trial | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
An autograph seeker and a Michael Jackson impersonator are among the jurors who were rejected to serve on the trial of notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán. | |
Seven women and five men will decide if Guzmán is guilty of charges related to trafficking, laundering and firearms. | |
All 12 will remain anonymous under tight security terms and be escorted to and from court by US marshals. | All 12 will remain anonymous under tight security terms and be escorted to and from court by US marshals. |
The leader of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel could face life in prison. | The leader of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel could face life in prison. |
Guzmán - whose nickname "El Chapo" means "Shorty" in English - has been convicted of drug trafficking in Mexico. But he twice escaped prisons before he was extradited to the US in 2017. | |
His trial in a federal court in New York begins on 13 November and could last up to four months. | His trial in a federal court in New York begins on 13 November and could last up to four months. |
Prosecutors say that under Guzmán the Sinaloa cartel shipped vast amounts of heroin, methamphetamines, cocaine and marijuana into the US. | |
Guzmán's lawyers have reportedly hinted they plan to argue he had a smaller role in the cartel than is believed. | |
Of the jurors, at least three are immigrants and three speak Spanish fluently. Several have relatives who work as prison guards or in law enforcement. | Of the jurors, at least three are immigrants and three speak Spanish fluently. Several have relatives who work as prison guards or in law enforcement. |
While nearly all said they had heard of Guzmán before being called for jury duty, they said they would be impartial in the trial. | |
Prosecutors said the stringent security conditions were necessary to protect jurors. They said Guzmán has a history of intimidating or ordering the murders of potential witnesses, a claim his defence denies. | |
One woman reportedly wept after learning she was picked, and said she was fearful of the attention she would get if her identity was discovered. She remains a part of the jury. | One woman reportedly wept after learning she was picked, and said she was fearful of the attention she would get if her identity was discovered. She remains a part of the jury. |
However, others were excused for more peculiar reasons. | However, others were excused for more peculiar reasons. |
One man, who was born in Medellín in Colombia, was not chosen after admitting he was a "bit of a fan" of Guzmán's, and had tried to get his autograph. | |
Another said his job as a Michael Jackson impersonator made him too well-known to serve, while a third man was reportedly rejected after saying he had heard of Guzmán thanks to a bagel named after the criminal at a deli near his home - a fact which, if made public, could lead to the man's identification. |