A member of the jury from the Brooklyn trial of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzmán told Vice News about his or her experience with the widely publicized case, detailing a daily routine that was rife with both excitement and a constant state of fear.
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing," said the juror, whose identity was withheld. "This is the case of the century. Do I want to live it … or do I want to watch it on the screen?"
The juror told Vice News that while the 12 members were able to return to their homes every night, they had to meet at secret locations every morning and, in teams of five, hop into vans driven by U.S. Marshals to ensure their protection.
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Initially, the juror said, the jury stuck to Judge Brian Cogan's orders to refrain from speaking about the case or following it on the news or social media. But curiosity eventually got the better of some members, who would whisper with each other about the next steps of the case during the ride home and follow what reporters were tweeting.
The Vice News report and the apparent violations of the judge's orders garnered a response from Guzmán's legal team, sparking speculation that they could appeal for a new trial, USA Today reported. Guzmán was found guilty last week on 10 counts that included narcotics trafficking.
"More disturbing is the revelation that the jury may have lied to the court and had seen some deeply prejudicial, uncorroborated, and inadmissible allegations against Mr. Guzmán on the eve of the beginning of jury deliberations," Jeffrey Lichtman, one of Guzman's defense attorneys, wrote in an email to Law & Crime. "Above all, Joaquín Guzmán deserved a fair trial."
The juror told Vice News, however, that the conversations and media exposure did not change anyone's mind.
