'THE EVIDENCE JUST WASN'T THERE', states Jury

[PsychoDad]

8 times, Al-Arian hears 'Not guilty'
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/07/Tampabay/8_times__Al_Arian_hea.shtml

NO CONVICTIONS: The former USF professor and his co-defendants relieved after long, complicated case. DEADLOCK: Jurors can't decide many counts. "Evidence making these guys terrorists just wasn't there."

TAMPA - The judge announced the verdicts, one by one, and Sami Al-Arian's eyes shifted to his family, then back to the bench to take in the words he had waited years to hear.

As U.S. District Judge James S. Moody read the last "not guilty," Al-Arian threw his head back, looked toward the ceiling and smiled. With tears pouring down his face, he took his glasses off and wiped his eyes with a tissue.

"God bless America," whispered his wife, Nahla, from the spectator section.

Not Guilty Verdicts in Florida Terror Trial Are Setback for U.S.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/07/national/nationalspecial3/07verdict.html

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6 - In a major defeat for law enforcement officials, a jury in Florida failed to return guilty verdicts Tuesday on any of 51 criminal counts against a former Florida professor and three co-defendants accused of operating a North American front for Palestinian terrorists.

The former professor, Sami al-Arian, a fiery advocate for Palestinian causes who became a lightning rod for criticism nationwide over his vocal anti-Israeli stances, was found not guilty on eight criminal counts related to terrorist support, perjury and immigration violations.

...

"This was a political prosecution from the start, and I think the jury realized that," Linda Moreno, one of Mr. Arian's defense lawyers, said in a telephone interview. "They looked over at Sami al-Arian; they saw a man who had taken unpopular positions on issues thousands of miles away, but they realized he wasn't a terrorist. The truth is a powerful thing."

Federal officials in Washington expressed surprise at the verdict in a case they had pursued for years.

Fla. Professor Is Acquitted in Case Seen as Patriot Act Test

By Spencer S. Hsu and Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writers
Wednesday, December 7, 2005; Page A01

A federal jury acquitted former Florida professor Sami al-Arian yesterday of conspiring to aid a Palestinian group in killing Israelis through suicide bombings, dealing the U.S. government a setback in its efforts to use secretly gathered intelligence in criminal cases against terrorism suspects.

The trial was a crucial test of government power under the USA Patriot Act, which lowered barriers that had prevented intelligence agencies from sharing secretly monitored communications with prosecutors. The case was the first criminal terrorism prosecution to rely mainly on vast amounts of materials gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), whose standards for searches and surveillance are less restrictive than those set by criminal courts.
...
Two co-defendants, former Florida graduate student Sameeh Taha Hammoudeh and Chicago dry cleaner Ghassan Zayed Ballut, were acquitted of all charges. The jury acquitted a third man, Hatim Naji Fariz, manager of an Illinois-based Muslim charity, of 25 counts, and failed to reach a verdict on eight others.

[madeline_con]

1. "Not Guilty Verdicts in Florida Terror Trial Are Setback for U.S."

"In a major defeat for law enforcement officials, ..."

What the hell is with this writer? I'd say it was a triumph for the American judicial system, despite Bushco's best efforts to turn the world into an "us" and "them" play area for witch hunters. :wtf:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. A victory for justice

This gives me hope for America-a jury of ordinary citizens realized that one does not convict just because of a defendent's religion.

[plasticwidow]

3. I am hoping and praying...

That these victories for the people and our brothers and sisters will start a landslide in eradicating the Patriot Act. I think, and I hope and pray, that the people will finally open their eyes and see it for what it really is: government propaganda and government control over every aspect of our lives.. its called: Political Terrorism.. where the government is the terrorist, who we need to protect ourselves from, and to whom we should turn to and look at to see the root of the real problem here, its not terrorism, its a greedy, uncaring, controlling capitalistic nazi government that has become emboldened in their actions and deeds and vaguely veil their fascist ideals and proclivities. We can only hope.

Peace!