El Chapo’s appeals have been rejected. According to Complex, all 10 of the 64-year-old’s pleas have been shut down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, who have determined that “none of these claims has merit.”
The criminal – also known as Joaquín Guzmán – was sentenced to life in July of 2019 after he was “convicted in a jury trial of continuing a criminal enterprise and drug trafficking conspiracy, among other things.”
Gerardo Magallon/Getty Images
“The long road that brought ‘El Chapo’ Guzman Loera to a United States courtroom is lined with drugs, death, and destruction, but ends today with justice,” Brian Benczkowski, who was Assistant Attorney General at the time of Mexican man’s arrest, said.
“Thanks to the unflagging efforts of the Department of Justice and the law enforcement community over the past 25 years, this notorious leader of one of the largest drug trafficking organizations in the Western hemisphere, the Sinaloa Cartel, will spend the rest of his life behind bars.”
El Chapo’s attempted appeals are said to be related to the fact that multiple jury members weren’t entirely honest about “keeping up with news coverage of the widely publicized trial.”
In response to this, the government argued earlier today (January 25th) that the District Court was “keenly aware” of media coverage surrounding the trial, mentioning that U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan was sure to remind the jury on multiple occasions that they should “avoid all media coverage about the case.”
Cogan spoke with two jurors who admitted to having been exposed to be media, but they ultimately concluded to feeling “impartial.”
Read more about El Chapo’s 2019 sentencing here, and check back in with HNHH later for any future updates on the notorious criminal.
[Via]