The selection of 12 jurors and six substitutes for this trial, which is expected to last about four months, began Monday and must be completed by Friday. The opening arguments are expected Tuesday.For the moment, of the hundred pre-selected people, 58 were interviewed and 27 dismissed.
The selection of jurors in the trial of Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when one of the prospective jurors asked for an autograph from the accused, suspected of running for 25 years during one of the most powerful cartels in the world.
The day before, this potential juror, a 20-year-old New Yorker born in Medellin, Colombia, said he liked criminal TV series and knew the drug trade well because of its origins. The city of Medellin is known worldwide for being the center of global cocaine trafficking under the rule of drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, who died in 1993.
A juror "in love" with El Chapo according to the prosecutor
On Tuesday, it appeared that the young man had asked a bailiff if he could get an autograph from El Chapo. One of the prosecutors then asked that he be dismissed, judging him "in love" with El Chapo. But the defense lawyer protested.
"Why did you ask for an autograph from the accused? Asked the judge, directly questioning the young man. "Because I'm a little fan," he replied. He was then permanently removed from the list.
On the bench, El Chapo, who was wearing a black suit on a sky blue shirt and checked tie, reacted with a smile.
Several feared potential jurors have been dismissed by justice
Several potential jurors were frightened to be part of the jury. On Monday, two women were dismissed after fearing retaliation from relatives of El Chapo.
On Tuesday, the judge said a woman told her crying that her mother had told her she would have to move if she was selected. A person who was taken to hospital after a panic attack was also dismissed.
To protect jurors, the selection is held in camera. Their names will remain secret, and they will be escorted every day to the Brooklyn federal court, where security has been strengthened.