by Matthew Russell Lee, Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 18 – In the closing arguments on March 6, AUSA Tarlow said that narco trafficking had grown under JOH. On March 7, out of the hearing of the jury and for then the Press, JOH's lawyer Stabile said he'd heard different overnight.
From who?
The defendant's wife he said.
Was this just a play for a mistrial?
Judge Castel concluded it was, and denied Stabile's motion, Order on Patreon here.
Later on March 8, the verdict, here- then the book Narco Drama in English then Spanish.
Now on March 22 Stabile has requested a new trial, on two grounds: the testimony of drug trafficking going up instead of down, and JOH's stop over in Fort Lauderdale, where Stabile says the trial should have been held. Filing on Inner City Press' free DocumentCloud here
On April 12 the US Attorney's Office opposed JOH's motion, arguing that Taul did not testify falsely, and that the venue argument, even if it had merit, was waived. Stipulation on Patreon here.
On May 9, Judge Castel denied JOH's motion for a new trial. Order on Patreon here.
On June 10, JOH's lawyer asked for delay: "I write to request a 2-week adjournment of defendant Juan Orlando Hernandez’s sentencing, currently scheduled for June 26, 2024... I have also had more limited opportunity to meet and confer with Mr. Hernandez about his sentencing, because he was hospitalized most of last week, due to an injury he sustained in prison and also because legal visits at MDC have recently been cancelled, for the whole day or part of the day, on several occasions over the past two weeks. The government has previously indicated that it did not object to a one-time adjournment of sentencing. Letter on Patreon here.
Judge Castel granted extensions to file, but not of the sentencing of JOH. On June 18, Mauricio Hernandez Pineda who pled guilty on February 2 asked for a 15-year sentence; his is scheduled for July 2.
More on X for Subscribers here and Substack here
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