Infamous Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’ appeals life sentence

Guzman, who was the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for 25 years, is currently being held at a maximum-security prison in Colorado

His lawyer argues that the extraordinary security measures that surrounded Guzman prevented a fair trial

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Authorities escort Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman from a plane in Ronkonkoma, NY on September 4, 2020. Photo: US law enforcement via AP

Published: 5:48am, 6 Sep 2020Updated: 6:14am, 6 Sep 2020

Former Mexican drug boss Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman has appealed the life sentence he was given by a US court last year, following his conviction for decades of smuggling narcotics into the country.

Guzman’s prosecution was marred by prosecutorial and judicial overreach, his lawyer argues in the appeals paperwork filed in a New York court on Friday evening, which was seen by dpa.

Guzman, who was the leader of the powerful Sinaloa cartel for 25 years, is currently being held at a maximum-security prison in Colorado.

His defence lawyer, Marc Fernich, argues, among other things, that the extraordinary security measures that surrounded Guzman prevented a fair trial.

In this February 7, 2019 courtroom drawing, “El Chapo” sits at the defence table while listening to Judge Brian Cogan addressing the jury during Guzman's drug trafficking trial in New York. Photo: Elizabeth Williams via AP

For instance, Fernich cites the two-and-a-half years in solitary confinement before the guilty verdict in early 2019 as making it difficult for him to work with his defence team.