Dirty-bomb suspect Jose Padilla found guilty after 5 years

[Ladewig]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/16/padilla.verdict/index.html

Accused "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla was found guilty Thursday on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and conspired to fund and support overseas terrorism. One of Padilla's defense team said an innocent man was jailed and an appeal will be filed.

Story still developing.


ETA: The trial did not include the dirty bomb plot that the government originally charged him with.

[Alt+F4]

I wonder if Padilla's lawyer now regrets not calling any witnesses.

[Policenaut]

Why didn't they go after him for the dirty bomb? I heard years ago it was due to sensitive info being released if they did but it was just a rumor. Any update on that?

[Ladewig]

Why didn't they go after him for the dirty bomb? I heard years ago it was due to sensitive info being released if they did but it was just a rumor. Any update on that?

NPR reported that the reason they did not include that charge is that Padilla was not allowed to talk to a lawyer before he was questioned about that.

[WildCat]

Appeals court says Padilla's sentence was too lenient (http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iN2GNK4WWGFr69cbnmrOffiSpeWw?docId=CNG.89b12 4e773c6333e7ba7f7550dbdcd03.301):
Jose Padilla, the US citizen arrested in 2002 for an alleged "dirty bomb" plot, got off too lightly when he was sentenced to more than 17 years in prison, a federal appeals court ruled Monday.

...He was convicted of aiding a US-based Al-Qaeda cell that supplied recruits and funding to Islamic extremists abroad, and conspiring to murder, kidnap and maim people in Afghanistan, Chechnya, Bosnia and other countries from 1993 to 2001.

The three judge panel dismissed Padilla's appeal of his conviction on grounds of "alleged outrageous government conduct," insufficient evidence, and the improper use of statements made to the FBI.

It upheld an appeal by prosecutors that Padilla's sentence was too lenient and ordered a new hearing to determine a more appropriate punishment for his crimes.

"Padilla's sentence of 12 years below the low end of the guidelines range reflects a clear error of judgment about the sentencing of this career offender," 11th circuit chief judge Joel Dubina wrote in the 2-1 opinion.

"The district court attached little weight to Padilla's extensive criminal history, gave no weight to his future dangerousness, compared him to criminals who were not similarly situated, and gave unreasonable weight to the conditions of his pre-trial confinement."