Jury seated in 'El Chapo' case

Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Lawyers seated 12 jurors in the Manhattan trial of accused Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman on Wednesday, setting the stage for opening remarks to begin next week.

The panel includes seven women and five men, six alternates, four Spanish speakers, three immigrants and one person whose son is a police officer. Each of the jurors expressed more liberal opinions on U.S. drug policy, the New York Post reported.

District Judge Brian Cogan told the lawyers that after the jury selection was finalized, one of the selected jurors approached him and cried over being chosen. She said her coworkers at a media organization knew she was being considered as a juror for the case.

"We have one open rebellion," Cogan said of the juror, adding that he didn't believe there was any "real hardship here."

Lawyers for both sides agreed.

"My concern is that if one gets off with a few tears, we're going to have a trail of tears," Guzman's lawyer, Jeffrey Lichtman said.

Cogan informed the jurors not to discuss or research the case until the end of the trial. The jurors are under partial sequestration and will be escorted to and from the courthouse each day by a U.S. marshal.

Opening marks were scheduled to begin Tuesday. Court officials expect the trial to last 3 months to 4 months.

Guzman faces charges of overseeing a "continuing criminal enterprise," and using firearms in running drug trafficking and money laundering operations while making $14 billion in cash from the sale of narcotics throughout the United States and Canada.

Prior to his extradition to the United States, Guzman escaped from a Mexican prison through a tunnel underneath his jail cell.