El Chapo Trial: Vincente Zambada Niebla rulings-He is now on the witness stand

Chivis Martinez Borderland Beat

“For government lawyers and the U.S. marshals securing the high-profile Brooklyn trial, however, continued proceedings have meant that they must work without pay until the court’s funds runs out on Jan. 11. The U.S. Marshals Service has had a heavy presence in and around the Guzman courtroom for nearly two months now. While typically dedicating three from their ranks to guarding the slippery defendant during testimony — Guzman twice escaped high-security prisons in Mexico before his extradition — U.S. marshals also personally transport the trial’s 12 anonymous jurors and four alternates to and from the courthouse.

Deputy U.S. marshals also handle the Explosive Detection Dogs Unit assigned to the courthouse for the case.
Drew Wade, a spokesman for the service, sent some context Wednesday for news reports suggesting that the shutdown has required 3,600 deputy U.S. marshals to work without pay.
“While all U.S. Marshals Service employees are critical, only excepted staff like deputy U.S. marshals are authorized and required to conduct official business during a government shutdown,” Wade said in an email. Should the federal courts exhaust their funding reserves, Wade assured that “U.S. marshals will continue to protect the court family and other protectees.”