Defense attorneys asked a federal judge Tuesday to grant a new trial to the Mexican drug lord known as El Chapo, saying jurors improperly followed media coverage of the sensational drug conspiracy case.

Joaquin Guzman�s defense team said in court filings that jurors repeatedly disregarded instructions to avoid the �blizzard of media coverage� before convicting Guzman of murder conspiracy and drug-trafficking charges last month.

The defense asked U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to hold an evidentiary hearing in the wake of a Vice News report that said at least five jurors followed media reports and Twitter feeds during the three-month trial. The attorneys said juror misconduct denied Guzman his right to a fair trial.

�If a justice system�s measure is how it treats the most reviled and unpopular, then ours may have failed Joaquin Guzman by denying him the fair trial before an untainted jury to which he�s constitutionally entitled,� Guzman�s attorneys wrote in a court filing. �Because sunlight is the best disinfectant, that prospect merits serious consideration, close investigation and a new trial as appropriate.�

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney�s office in Brooklyn declined to comment.

The defense motion claims jurors �actively sought out and openly discussed� sensational allegations that had been excluded from Guzman�s proceedings, including a claim by a government witness that Guzman raped girls. The government did not charge Guzman with rape.

The defense team also accused jurors of �cannily lying� to the judge when he asked them about their exposure to media coverage in Guzman�s case.

�We look forward to vindicating his rights in a new trial before a jury that will abide by its oath,� defense attorney Eduardo Balarezo said in an email.

Guzman faces life in prison at his June sentencing.

(AP)