David Brooks
Correspondent
Newspaper La Jornada
Saturday July 16, 2022, p. 6
New York., The lawyers of Genaro García Luna requested that the start date of the trial against their client be postponed until January 9, because due to the volume of the material and the complexity
of the case need more time to prepare the defence.
For now, the trial is scheduled for October 24, but federal judge Brian Cogan indicated yesterday in a preparatory hearing that I wouldn’t be surprised
if eventually it was postponed until January.
In the teleconference hearing between the parties and the judge, with the presence of García Luna (with a translator), the defense attorney César de Castro pointed out that the preparation of the case implies evaluating an enormous volume of materials presented as evidence by the prosecution and for this reason, he asked that the judge consider postponing the start of the trial.
Prosecutors expressed concern that the postponement would make some witnesses more reluctant to come forward, hinting that there could be efforts to discourage
your participation. Judge Cogan indicated that if there is evidence of such efforts, he expects prosecutors to tell him more about the matter, but if there isn’t and if witnesses have remained willing thus far, I don’t think extend the date
change that, he argued.
Date already scheduled
The judge of the Federal Court of the Eastern District in charge of the case against the former Secretary of Public Security of President Felipe Calderón concluded the hearing affirming that for now proceeding with the same date already scheduled to begin the trial.
He proposed a calendar for the jury selection process, which will begin in September and will end on October 24 with the final election.
However, at the conclusion of the hearing, he reiterated that he does not rule out that the start of the trial be postponed until January. The judge will rule on the matter after receiving more information, including estimates of the final volume of evidence being prepared by prosecutors.
García Luna, who was arrested in Dallas and transferred to New York in December 2019, faces charges that between 2001 and 2012, when he was first the director of the Federal Investigation Agency and then as Secretary of Public Security, he provided assistance to the cartel. of Sinaloa in exchange for bribes of tens of millions of dollars.
