Photo: Jesus Garcia / Impremedia
NEW YORK.- The final selection of the jury for the trial of Genaro Garcia Luna in the Eastern District Court of New York it was complicated, because a large part of the people summoned expressed concern about the lack of payment in their companies and transportation to court.
Due to the complexity of the case, the court summoned people from various areas of New Yorkincluding Long Island, so those who are selected must travel by train or car and could need up to two hours of travel, depending on how close they are to transportation.
Judge Peggy Kuo indicated that prosecutors and the defense would discuss the possibility of picking up people at certain points to transport them more easily, logistics that will not be disclosed to the public.
Regarding payment, the federal court system indicates that jurors for cases like this should be paid $50 per day, but if the trial lasts more than 10 days then they could receive up to $60. The trial could last eight weeks.
Judge Kuo indicated that if the employer keeps the person’s salary, then those people would not receive extra pay.
Pay from the court system may be too little for some people, because if they are paid a minimum wage of $15 an hour in New York, the amount for jury duty would be insufficient to supplement their income.
Several people were ruled out of jury dutyafter they confirmed that their employers would not pay or would only pay 10 days of the process.
“Would not receiving pay for the next few days affect your finances?” Judge Kuo asked those who expressed that their employers would not pay.
“Yes,” most responded.
That was reason enough to rule them out.
This Thursday the preliminary list of 40 possible members of the jury was achieved, from which the 12 starters and the six substitutes will emerge.
García Luna’s wife in hearings
This newspaper was able to confirm that Linda Cristina Pereyra has been at the jury selection hearingssitting in the main room of the selection process.
The press had not been able to see her, since she arrived discreetly at the court and left after 8:00 p.m., to avoid questioning.
She looks relaxed, unlike on the first day of hearings in 2020, when her husband was formally charged with drug trafficking.
Pereyra also changed the hairstyle of her reddish hair, since she left the curly style for a straightened one.
The opening for the presentation of hearings and calls for witnesses and cooperators begins on Monday, January 23.