NEW YORK – He judge in charge of the case of the former president of Honduras Juan Orlando Hernandez, convicted of trafficking in the United States, rejected this Thursday a request from his defense to postpone the announcement of the judgment, scheduled for June 26.
Hernández was found guilty of drug and arms trafficking by a popular jury in New York on March 8. For this he could be sentenced to life imprisonment.
His lawyer Sabrina Shroff asked Judge Kevin Castel this week for a 45-day extension for the hearing in which the sentence must be announced.
In his own handwriting, Judge Castel “denied” the defense’s request. “The court does not anticipate postponing this long-standing scheduled sentencing,” he wrote.
According to the lawyer, “the defense needs more time to prepare for the sentence, which is complicated and takes time,” although she did not give specific reasons.
Hernández, who according to the prosecution created a “narco-state” during his presidency (2014-2022), was found guilty of the crimes of conspiring to traffic drugs and weapons and possessing weapons, after a long trial in a Manhattan court.
Source: With information from AP
