US District Judge Brian Cogan on Thursday barred Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman's lawyers Michael Lambert and Mariel Colon from having cellphones in court for a year
The federal judge presiding over the trial of suspected drug kingpin Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman on Thursday imposed a ban on cellphone usage inside the courtroom by two of the defendant's attorneys over claims that they had arranged unauthorized contact between him and his wife.
Prosecutors asked the judge to sanction defense lawyers Michael Lambert and Mariel Colon in a filing late last month after a court security officer saw Guzman's 29-year-old ex-beauty queen spouse, Emma Coronel, using a cell phone in the Brooklyn courtroom where her husband is on trial. Only lawyers are allowed cell phones in the courtroom.
Because the filing was heavily redacted, it was not clear at the time which lawyer the prosecutors were accusing, or what evidence they had.
US District Judge Brian Cogan revealed in an order on Thursday that prosecutors believed lawyer Mariel Colon had given the phone to Coronel so she could communicate with Guzman.
Prosecutors last month asked the judge to sanction the defense lawyers after accusing them of facilitating unauthorized contact between El Chapo, 61, and his 29-year-old wife, Emma Coronel (right)
Guzman (seen in a December 18 courtroom sketch) was extradited to the United States in January 2017 on charges of trafficking massive quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the United States as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel
Judge Cogan accused the lawyers of displaying 'flagrant disregard of the Court’s rules' and warned them to do better
They pointed to court security footage showing Coronel talking on a cell phone in the courthouse while Colon was alone with Guzman in the defense team's conference room, and the two women leaving the courthouse together soon after, according to Cogan's order.
Special security measures bar Guzman, who twice escaped from prison in Mexico, from communicating with his wife. The measures are so strict that he was not even allowed a brief hug at the beginning of the trial.
Guzman, 61, was extradited to the United States in January 2017 on charges of trafficking massive quantities of cocaine and other drugs into the United States as leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.
Coronel has been married to Guzman since 2007. They have twin daughters. He has 11 other children.
A court security officer last month saw Coronel using a cell phone in the Brooklyn courtroom, which is against the rules. She is pictured left with one of her twin daughters in October
Cogan wrote in his decision that the security footage was 'more consistent with a coincidence than with a scheme by defense counsel.'
Nonetheless, he said he believed Colon had given Coronel a phone, in violation of court rules, and barred both Colon and Lambert, in whose office she works, from bringing a phone into the courthouse for one year.
Cogan also offered the defense attorneys a stern warning after accusing both of 'lack of candor.'
'Mr. Lambert’s and Ms. Colon’s conduct demonstrates not only a flagrant disregard of the Court’s rules, but also a grave misunderstanding of the need for order and the importance of the security measures imposed in this case,' the judge wrote in his ruling. 'They are strongly cautioned that, in the future, they must be helpful, forthcoming, and candid in the representations they make to the Court.'
Lambert, who is not part of the trial team but works on Guzman's defense, later slammed Cogan's decision as 'nonsense' to the New York Post and bristled at the notion that his integrity has been called into question.
'I was not the target of [prosecutors'] motion, and yet have somehow become collateral damage,' Lambert told CNN of the cell phone ban.
The attorney further insisted that he never left his phone alone with Coronel and only used it to access Google Translate online.
Colon also told the judge that she gave Lambert's phone to Coronel to use Google Translate, according to Cogan's written decision.
Guzman, pictured during his extradition to the US last year, stands accused of conspiring to import more than 264,000lbs of cocaine into the United States between 1990 and 2005
The order comes near the end of the sixth week of the trial, which is expected to last up to four months. Jurors have already heard days of testimony from former associates of Guzman who are now cooperating with the prosecutors.
The often dramatic testimony has included stories of multi-ton drug shipments by air, sea and through tunnels, deadly wars between rival cartels and brazen corruption of Mexican public officials.
Guzman faces up to 17 charges laid out in six separate indictments filed by authorities in California, Texas, Illinois, Florida and New Hampshire, according to CNN.
He stands accused of conspiring to import more than 264,000lbs of cocaine into the United States between 1990 and 2005.
The Sinaloa cartel is also alleged to engage in murder, extortion, money laundering, drug trafficking, and other crimes.
His lawyers have said he was set up as a scapegoat by another drug lord, Ismael 'El Mayo' Zambada, who also faces US charges but remains at large.
Link hienalouca.comhttps://hienalouca.com/2018/12/22/judge-bars-two-el-chapo-defense-lawyers-from-bringing-cell-phones-to-court/
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US District Judge Brian Cogan on Thursday barred Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman’s lawyers Michael Lambert and Mariel Colon from having cellphones in court for a year
The federal judge presiding over the trial of suspected drug kingpin Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman on...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/21/14/7703778-6517833-image-a-2_1545402570834.jpg
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