EL CHAPO DENIED CONTACT LEGAL VISITS

Guzmán’s attorney visits will remain behind glass without privacy and without the ability to review videos etc with his attorneys.

By Chivis Martinez

Borderland Beat
October 19, 2017

On Tuesday, the court ruled against Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán in denying his request for contact legal visits. This translates to Guzmán’s attorney visits will remain behind glass without privacy and without the ability to review videos etc with his attorneys.

I wrote an article regarding the denial of Guzmán’s privileges but the ability to have contact visits is the most important in defending his case fairly. For those who insist on making it about Guzmán, instead of an uncompromised system of justice, one would think a successful appeal may be of concern.

***** PRESS RELEASE *****

CONCERNING ORDER DENYING CONTACT LEGAL VISITS FOR JOAQUÍN “EL CHAPO” GUZMÁN

OCTOBER 18, 2017 (Washington, DC) – Yesterday, the Court denied Mr. Guzmán’s Motion for Contact Legal Visits. The principal justification for the denial of the Motion was that modifications to the legal visiting rooms made by the government “would permit productive attorney-client meetings without risking the security concerns about contact visits credibly raised by the Government.”

According to Mr. Guzmán’s attorney, A. Eduardo Balarezo, BALAREZO LAW’s founder, “This case is already incredibly difficult to defend because of the extremely harsh conditions imposed by the government and the Court upon Mr. Guzmán. These conditions include almost complete isolation from other humans except for legal visits and no contact with his wife or the outside world. In fact, in the eight months that he has been in the United States he has been allowed one short monitored visit with his sister and daughter. Even then, the government revoked his sister’s visa after that visit and she is no longer able to enter the United States.” Mr. Balarezo continued, “Although he has been authorized to send and receive mail and make phone calls, the authorities are still prohibiting him from doing so. These conditions have been imposed on him even though not one shred of evidence has been presented against him. The Court’s decision denying Mr. Guzmán and his lawyers the simple ability to be in the same room further complicates the task of defending him zealously. Mr. Guzmán is clearly disappointed by the Court’s decision.”