Jury convicts 5, acquits 1 in Liberty City Six terror retrial

[Scurrilous]

Source: Miami Herald

<snip>

"After two prior mistrials, federal jurors Tuesday finally reached verdicts in the Bush-era terrorism case of six Miami men charged with conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago and other major buildings.

Despite more than two weeks of disrupted deliberations, the 12-member jury convicted five defendants and acquitted one.

On trial were Narseal Batiste, 35; Patrick Abraham, 29; Stanley Grant Phanor, 33; Rotschild Augustine, 25; Burson Augustin, 24, and Naudimar Herrera, 25.

The indictment charged the Liberty City Six with four counts of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization; provide material support to terrorists; destroy buildings with explosives; and levy war against the U.S. government in a seditious act."



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/1044374.html

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Well, I'm sure we got our money's worth out this whole mess. Will Dick Cheney now

claim EITs helped save millions of lives in Chicago?

[madrchsod]

2. millions upon millions for these trials...for what?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. Those poor numbskulls ........

Talk about being set up!

These losers didn't have a clue.

But, hey, now Cheney can bleat about how he almost singlehandedly prevented Chicago from being blown up.

Oh, spare me...........................

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. Finally got the right jury. n/t

[DCKit]

7. DHinS got the jury they WANTED...

but I don't see what any of the rest of U.S. gain by having these economically disadvantaged addicts and petty criminals locked up for life. They were playing the FBI/gubmint informant for drug and booze money and got caught up in a shit storm.

I think this is yet another "WTF?" moment in the propaganda war. Anyone who looks at this case, even casually, is going to wonder why the fascist insanity hasn't been rooted out of the gubmint yet.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. It is the Justice Department, not DHS, which tried this case

[DCKit]

9. Thanks for your concern, but I didn't say that.

I just said they (DHinS) got the jury they wanted; hell, needed. If they hadn't, the whole bizarre case could have blown up (yet again) in their faces and made them look like the fascist, paranoid, manipulative fools that they are. These convictions are a propaganda coup, but hollow to anyone familiar with the case and circumstances. To honest law enforcement types, it's an embarrassment. To the fascists, a victory.

BushCo left behind enough true believers in enough of the alphabet agencies and various departments to continue this crap for a spell. We're just going to have to suffer through the hangover.

[Freddie Stubbs]

10. Holder could have dropped the charges, as he did with Ted Stevens

[lsewpershad]

12. Totally agree

Mr AG,,,I believed you were different like you suggested.

[Irreverend IX]

5. Those clowns would have trouble conspiring to destroy a lemonade stand...

Let alone the Sears Tower. More tax dollars at work, I guess.

[RaleighNCDUer]

6. Interesting how they came to be convicted, when

"conspiring to", translate as "talking about"

"provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization;" they never met anyone from Al Queda,

"provide material support to terrorists;" these guys had nothing to support themselves with, much less anyone else,

"destroy buildings with explosives;" when they never had any explosives,

"and levy war against the U.S. government in a seditious act.", and they never took any action on anything whatsoever - all they did was talk amongst themselves.

I hope they are all freed on appeal. This is bogus to the nth degree.

[Judi Lynn]

11. Such bad news. This is the government's THIRD RUN at putting these men, some of them

people who came here from Haiti, in prison after the FBI plant set them up.

There was every chance they were going to lose this one, too, before the judge decided to replace a juror who clearly wasn't going to convict them.

What a shame. Sure hope they can get this appealed by some good attorneys, people with consciences.

This _Bush scheme needs to be overturned, not rewarded.

[underpants]

13. Just saw this in the paper. What a waste of time. I can't believe they were even tried

:eyes:

[Judi Lynn]

14. It was probably predetermined what result they would get this time,since two earlier ones failed. nt

[Scurrilous]

15. Terror trial's outcome may be tainted

The removal of a juror accused of refusing to deliberate in the Liberty City Six terrorism-conspiracy trial will be the centerpiece of the defense team's appeals.

http://www.miamiherald.com/460/story/1052208.html

<snip>

"Did booting a holdout juror off the panel seal the fate of the Liberty City Six?

That is a central issue in the courtroom documents released last week after the five guilty verdicts that attracted national attention.

Known only as Juror No. 4, the woman was accused by 11 fellow jurors, prosecutors and the judge of refusing to deliberate in the federal terrorism-conspiracy case. However, in jury notes the woman said she wanted to ''see this trial to the end'' but could not withstand the pressure she was facing to change her stance -- presumably ``not guilty.''

Had she held out, prompting a third mistrial in the controversial case, the five men now facing lengthy prison sentences could have walked out of the courtroom free, because the U.S. attorney's office in Miami had already said it wouldn't try them a fourth time.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard's removal of the juror will be the centerpiece of defense appeals, based on claims that their clients didn't receive a fair trial. After Juror No. 4, a black woman, was replaced by a black male alternate, the 12-member panel convicted five of the six defendants Tuesday on charges of conspiring with the notorious global terrorist organization al Qaeda.

"Her note clearly shows that the other jurors tried to convince her to change her beliefs about the case,'' said attorney Richard Houlihan, who represented the sole acquitted defendant, Naudimar Herrera.

"They didn't agree with her, but that doesn't mean she wasn't deliberating with them,'' Houlihan said. 'Her factual beliefs were at odds with the other jurors'. Absolutely it was going to be a hung jury if she had been allowed to stay on.''

[Judi Lynn]

16. ""Did booting a holdout juror off the panel seal the fate of the Liberty City Six?" Absolutely!

It seemed apparent the moment the judge did it. Anyone who had been following this trial, and the two before it in which the government failed to convict saw that immediately.

So glad to learn they will go ahead with the appeal. It's the only right thing to do. My God. Thank you, Scurrilous, for posting this information.

This is a very big deal, and it would be a tragedy if the _Bush regime finally pulled off railroading these young men in an attempt to create an illusion of a terrorist cell in Miami.