Mexican Mafia Trial Hits Another Snag

The Los Angeles federal trial of 13 suspected members and associates of the Mexican Mafia prison gang--a proceeding already slowed by tough security measures and the number of people involved--hit another bump Thursday when two defendants failed to show up in court.

Testimony was delayed for more than two hours while U.S. District Judge Ronald S.W. Lew called Juan Arias and David Gallardo to court to explain their absence.

During an ensuing hearing, the two complained that officials at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center had thrown about their legal papers and personal belongings during a search for contraband Wednesday night.

They also complained that they had been moved to new cells and forced to clean them before going to bed. As a result, they said, they got little sleep and decided to stay at the detention center to protest their treatment.

“It’s important that our clients are treated with some kind of respect,” defense attorney Ellen Barry said during the hearing.

Lew said the defendants could forego the court proceedings, but he emphasized that their presence would aid in their defense. In the end, four of the 13 defendants left the courtroom for the day.

Attorneys said the 13 are awakened at 3 o’clock each morning to get ready for court. The detention center is next door to the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles where the trial is taking place.

The judge said federal authorities “could do all the searching they want to,” but asked that rotations to new cells and related activities not interfere with the trial.

Security in the seventh-floor courtroom is tight. As many as a dozen federal agents are present during courtroom proceedings. Visitors must go through two searches before entering.

Jury selection began in early October and testimony started in earnest just before Thanksgiving. The upcoming holiday season is expected to further delay the trial, which is expected to last for four or five more months.

The defendants are charged with violating federal racketeering laws by controlling drug trafficking and local street gangs as members of the Mexican Mafia. Defense attorneys argue that no such gang exists.