El Chapo news: Convicted drug lord Joaquin Guzman seeks new trial because of his bad public image

Lawyers claim his constitutional right to fair trial was abused

The notorious drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman is seeking a retrial – claiming the first was unfair because jurors were influenced by media articles that detailed how he drugged and raped teenage girls and murdered people.

The 61-year-old Guzman, 61, was last month convicted on all counts during a trial in which he was charged with criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking.

During the course of more than three months of testimony, the court heard grisly details about life inside the Sinaloa cartel which he ran with a murderous grip.

In all, jurors heard from more than 50 prosecution witnesses.

Now, the convicted drug lord is seeking a retrial, claiming that the jury had been influenced by reading media reports about his life and alleged crimes. His lawyers claimed jury misconduct had deprived him of his constitutional right to a fair trial, Reuters reported.

“We look forward to vindicating his rights in a new trial,” lawyer Eduardo Balarezo said in a statement.

During the trial, prosecutors said Guzman trafficked tons of cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamine into the United States over two decades, amassing power in Mexico through murders and wars with rival cartels. He faces life in prison at a scheduled June 25 sentencing.

Judge Brian Cogan had told jurors not to read media coverage of the case. Many ignored him.

Among the media coverage cited was a New York Times article based on public court filings that said Guzman drugged and raped girls as young as 13 years old, and published just two days before deliberations began

An article published last month by Vice included an interview with a juror who admitted ignoring the judge’s order. The article said jurors knew from Twitter that Mr Cogan would ask if they had seen the Times article, and several lied when he asked

Guzman’s lawyers said this exposed jurors to a “flood” of prejudicial information not admitted at trial.

John Marzulli, a spokesman for US Attorney Richard Donoghue, whose office prosecuted Guzman, declined to comment