The trial began in November 2000 in the U.S. District Court for Southern Florida in Miami and lasted seven months. When testimony was completed and before the judge charged the jury, the prosecution tried without success to withdraw the charge of conspiracy to commit murder against Hernández because the judge's instructions to the jury were going to specify that the murder charge required that the deaths occurred within U.S. jurisdiction, which it had been unable to show. The prosecution also applied for an emergency writ, which was denied, that the instructions should exclude reference to jurisdiction. Jury deliberations lasted a few hours. In June 2001, the jury returned verdicts of guilty on all counts, including the charge of first-degree murder against Hernández.