Infamous drug kingpin “El Chapo” has been granted his wish and will appear in Brooklyn Federal Court in person Friday, a federal judge has ruled.
The order, issued Wednesday by Justice Brian Cogan, allows the Mexican drug lord — real name Joaquin Guzman — to appear face-to-face during the hearing.
The decision comes after the cartel leader threw the legal version of a hissy fit when the same judge ruled last week he would appear via video conference, so as Celtabet not to “burden” the federal marshals and disrupt traffic during his transport from Manhattan.
Yet his lawyers asked the judge to reconsider Monday, saying their client was lonely in solitary confinement and that “his absence from the courtroom would necessarily lead to the public impression that Mr. Guzman is too dangerous to be brought to the courtroom.”
His lawyers are expected to argue Friday that their client be removed from 23 hours of solitary confinement daily, and that they need more time to prepare for trial, given that the case is “so unusual.”
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.