Inside View: Honduras Narco Trial Murky Docket As Feb 12 Slips to Feb 20 But No Public Filings So This
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by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Feb 11 – The trial of Juan Orlando Hernandez, former president of Honduras, was set to start on February 12, 2024, with opening arguments after Judge P. Kevin Castel picked the jury.
He usually did that quickly, so Kurt Wheelock expected to be hearing the prosecutors and JOH's now sickly (according to his filings) lead lawyer arguing by the afternoon.
But then last minute problems were raised, at first openly into the docket and then in filings and an order not put there over the weekend.
JOH's new second lawyer had asked for an extra 90 days, then at least a week, as a third Classified Information-cleared lawyer was brought it.
The prosecutors had responded that in light of new information they had just provided and the need to go over it with the defense, the opening arguments should be two days after the jury was picked: so, Wednesday, February 14.
Kurt had other sources, that the two sides had already agreed to kick it to February 20.
But despite checking and re-checking the docket, that joint letter, and Judge Castel's order, did not show up in the docket, even as the NFL Super Bowl was played.
That didn't stop JOH's wife from announcing February 20 on X, and Kurt getting questions about it. He never burned his sources as at first he stayed quiet. But he knew several people who were traveling to New York for the trial.
Why hadn't the prosecutors thought about them, when deciding to not even file their consent to a delay to February 20?
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