Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera appeared on Thursday, May 4 before the Brooklyn Court where it was announced that, tentatively, the trial against him will begin on April 16, 2018. Before the trial, the court determined that the next hearing will be held on August 15 to review progress in the case.
"El Chapo" has repeatedly asked to be removed from the isolation he is in at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in southern Manhattan. That petition has been denied by federal judge Brian Cogan. According to the judge the Sinaloa Cartel leader's request has been rejected to prevent him from controlling his drug trafficking networks from jail, as he did in the past using code messages.
"It is necessary to ensure that the accused can not coordinate an escape from prison and direct any action of violence against cooperators or those who handle any aspect of the company that means Sinaloa," the judge wrote in his ruling.
"El Chapo" since January 2017 has been locked in a 20-by-12-foot cell, 23 hours a day, and has reported inhumane treatment by US authorities. Lawyers Michelle Gelernt and Michael Schneider commented on how "much more extreme” the facility is compared to Mexico. "The physical and mental health of Mr. Guzman has deteriorated more since his arrival in the United States," said the Attorneys in a 24-page motion they sent to the judge in March.
"El Chapo," 59, "has difficulty breathing and suffers from a sore throat and headaches. He has recently experienced auditory hallucinations, complaining that he listens to music in his cell even when his radio is off," they wrote.
Guzmán Loera has pleaded not guilty to the 17 counts of which he is accused by the U.S. justice, which includes having run one of the largest drug empires in the Americas.
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