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Government Moves to Strike El Chapo's Opening Statement

By Jeralyn, Section "El Chapo" Trial
Posted on Wed Nov 14, 2018 at 03:19:02 AM EST
Tags: El Chapo, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman-Loera (all tags)
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Federal prosecutors representing the U.S. in the trial of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman are absolutely livid over the partial opening statement Tuesday by El Chapo defense lawyer Jeffrey Lichtman. Late last night they filed a motion to strike it in its entirety. (Case 1:09-cr-00466,Doc. 444, filed 11/14/18, available here)

The Government's motion has enough direct quotes to get a pretty good idea of what Lichtman said that got them so riled up. The question is: Was Lichtman's statement improper, or did the Government get caught flat-footed (or blind-slided, as they would say on Survivor)?

  • “This is a case that will require you to throw out much of what you were taught to believe in about the way Government’s work and how they behave, governments in South and Central American and Mexico and even the United States. This is a case which will require you to open your minds to the possibility that government officials at the very highest level can be bribed, can conspire to commit horrible crimes; that American law enforcement agents can also be crooked . . . .” Tr. at 576:21-24.

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