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Seven women and five men were officially selected Wednesday to sit as jurors in the upcoming case of the famous Sinaloa cartel leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman – one of them cried.
"We have an open rebellion," said Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Brian Cogan, five minutes after informing the jurors that they had been selected. The screaming juror "was in tears when she left the courtroom," he told both parties, adding that the woman had already told him that his colleagues in a corporation unspecified media had learned that she had been interrogated to sit.
But, continued the judge, this fact was not going to let her resign her office, because he saw no "real difficulty".
And Guzman's defense lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman, said, "What worries me is that if we cry a few tears, we will have a trail of tears."
The selected panel includes four Spanish speakers, three immigrants and a number of people who have family in law enforcement. All the members of the jury had expressed leftist ideas on drug policy. A number of them said they felt marijuana should be legalized and regulated.
While Judge Brian Cogan said he would officially swear in the panelists next Tuesday before opening statements, he warned jurors Wednesday to stay away from the media – and keep their new roles entirely secretive.
"Do not talk about the case," said the judge to the jury before Guzman, stoically forming the defense table. "Talk about the weather, elections – maybe not elections – but do not talk to anyone about this case."
The jurors, whose identities are anonymous, are now subject to partial sequestration and will be escorted by marshals to the courthouse for their own protection by the end of the trial, which is expected to last three to four months.
A juror stated that he retired from the Department of Corrections in 2007 and was a fan of Giant. Another did not know what the word "cartel" meant, while another said she had never heard of el Chapo.
One woman, who was selected as a substitute, said she had two brothers working for the Department of Homeland Security, and that it was stationed at the Laredo, Texas border.
Chapo seemed in a good mood on Wednesday, after being an active participant and tracking the number of potential jurors on his own notebook with his lawyers.
The selection of the jury was animated. A potential juror had the ax after asking for the king's autograph, claiming he was a "fan".
Another man was fired because he feared to be identified by his sandwich order, the "el Chapo", while another was fired for being too easily identifiable as Impersonator of Michael Jackson. Six others were thrown from the pool because they feared for their safety.
Another man, an ardent supporter of Trump, was injured in the last round of strikes on Wednesday. Lichtman had already asked him if he thought Chapo, as a Mexican, was a "bad boy". The man said he did not personally know the king's pillar, so he was not sure.
Chapo faces a charge of 17 counts accusing him of running a large-scale criminal enterprise that was importing and selling narcotics and conspiring with murderous rivals.
Outside the courthouse, defense lawyer Eduardo Balarezo said that he was happy to have chosen a jury.
"We are satisfied with the jury that has been selected," he told reporters. "We hope they will do their homework."
The openings are scheduled for November 13th.
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