A United States appeals court upheld the conviction of the notorious Mexican drug cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for massive drug conspiracy.
El Chapo's Appeal Rejected
The ruling of the United States' 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed accusations that Guzman's 2019 trial was tainted by Judge Brian Cogan's rulings allowing a jury to hear erroneous evidence, per AP News report.
The panel of judges in their ruling concluded that Cogan had conducted the three-month trial "with diligence and fairness, after issuing a series of meticulously crafted pretrial rulings."
According to CNN, the 64-year-old drug lord was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years due to tremendous drug schemes and firearms charges that caused murders and mayhem within more than 20 years. He was also ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.
His lawyers claimed on appeal that the guilty decision was flawed because some jurors allegedly searched out news accounts about sex abuse claims against Guzman that were not allowed to be heard in the trial and that Cogan erred by not holding a hearing on the reports.
But the appeals court found that Cogan was correct in ruling that the jury "was not prejudiced by any extraneous information to which they might have been exposed."
The panel of judges also found that "Any possible prejudice was harmless in view of the overwhelming evidence of Guzman's guilt."
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also denied other arguments Guzman made in requesting a new trial due to certain reasons, including deplorable conditions he experienced in prison and misconduct by the jury.
Marc Fernich, the defendant's lawyer, said that they would seek Supreme Court review, per Fox News.
Read Also : El Chapo's Wife Apprehended in the US, Charged With Helping Run the Notorious Sinaloa Cartel
Mythical Criminal
Before his high-profile trial in Brooklyn, Guzman had reached a near-mythical reputation by escaping from prison twice in Mexico in 2001, the second time through a tunnel built into his cell's shower in 2015.
In 2016, he was recaptured and transferred to the United States, where he was incarcerated in solitary prison.
According to officials, Guzman led one of the world's biggest drug trafficking groups, the Sinaloa Cartel, for more than two decades. The syndicate was responsible for numerous murders and the smuggling of drugs, including cocaine, into the United States.
Guilty of Heinous Crimes
Jurors sat through nearly three months of testimony in court about unspeakable torture and heinous murders, incredible corruption at almost every level in the Mexican government, narco-mistresses and naked subterranean escapes, and guns decorated with diamonds and other expensive gems.
Prosecutors also said before that Guzman had hitmen who were under orders to kidnap, torture, and kill people who obstruct his drug operations.
At trial, Guzman's defense lawyers argued that "El Chapo" was just a scapegoat for other drug lords, who were better at bribing top Mexican officials and authorities for protection.
Guzmán was found guilty of all ten accusations brought against him by the jury. He is anticipated to serve the remainder of his term in Florence, Colorado, the United States' most secured prison.
Last year, his wife, ex-beauty queen Emma Coronel Aispuro pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in connection to Guzman's drug organization. The court sentenced her to three-year imprisonment.
Related Article: Asia's El Chapo: Authorities Nab World's Most Wanted, Head of Biggest Meth Supplier Globally
