Terror conviction raises legal concerns

[struggle4progress]

Trial transcripts reveal a lack of evidence in translator’s case
By Michael Powell and Michelle Garcia
Updated: 6:33 a.m. ET Jan. 16, 2006

... "Yousry is not a practicing Muslim. He is not a fundamentalist," prosecutor Anthony Barkow acknowledged in his closing arguments to a jury in federal district court in Manhattan earlier this year. "Mohammed Yousry is not someone who supports or believes in the use of violence."

Still, the prosecutor persuaded the jury to convict Yousry of supporting terrorism. Yousry now awaits sentencing in March, when he could face 20 years in prison for translating a letter from imprisoned Muslim cleric Omar Abdel Rahman to Rahman's lawyer in Egypt.

In June 2000, Stewart released to a reporter a version of the letter, which discussed a cease-fire between Islamic militants and the Egyptian government. Prosecutors said that the lawyer and the translator, by these acts, conspired to use Rahman's words to incite others to carry out kidnappings and killings. No attack took place.

"Kill who? What are they talking about?" Yousry asked recently as he sat alongside his wife, Sarah, an evangelical Christian, in their modest Connecticut condominium. "The words I'm looking for, it's insane" ...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10871198/

[0007]

1. "WTF" - Prosecutors played a videotape of Osama bin Laden

and mentioned al Qaeda attacks, even though the case had nothing to do with that group."

......Judge Koeltl recently rejected Yousry's legal appeal based on the account of Juror 39. The judge noted that juries are given great leeway. David Stern, Yousry's lawyer, cannot quite accept that. "I'm in the habit of defending bad people, and they've mostly done what they're accused of," he said. "This guy is flat-out innocent, and it's disgraceful he's going to prison."

Something is indeed wrong after reading this story. Has junior got everyone scared to death?

[MountainLaurel]

2. Saw this in the WP today

But didn't get a chance to read the article. On the surface, it seems that once again our government is making up the evidence as it goes.