Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Federal Judiciary Blogs -> Southern District of Florida

Federal Judiciary

: Southern District of Florida

"Life or less? Padilla to learn his fate"

By David Oscar Markus

Jay Weaver wonders here what will happen to Jose Padilla. The intro to the article:

By week's end, Jose Padilla, a seemingly lost soul who drifted from gang member to Islamic convert to terrorist recruit, will learn whether he spends the rest of his life behind bars.
The decision is likely to hinge on a federal judge's interpretation of a strict sentencing provision of criminal law dealing with terrorism.
Last week, U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke listened patiently to endless hours of defense argument during a marathon-like sentencing hearing that the former Broward County resident and two co-defendants committed no specific acts to aid extremists in ''violent jihad'' against foreign governments. A jury last summer convicted each on charges of conspiring to commit murder in holy wars and providing ''material support'' to that end.
''Where is the evidence?'' Padilla's attorney, Michael Caruso, declared at one point.

Full post as published by Southern District of Florida on January 14, 2008 (boomark / email).