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Big Terrorism Case Leads to Split on Sentencing Review

By Jonathan Byrne

US v. Abu Ali: Ali is a US citizen, born in Virginia, who eventually travelled to Saudi Arabia, where he became involved with an Al-Qaeda cell. After a bombing in Riyadh (in which Ali was not involved), Saudi authorities cracked down. Investigation of Ali and others led to indictment in the US against Ali for various terrorism and related charges, in addition to conspiracy to assassinate the President. He was convicted by a jury of all charges. In a lengthy opinion, the Fourth Circuit unanimously affirms the conviction, rejecting numerous challenges that are most likely to occur only in similar transnational terrorism cases.The real action, from the more mundane perspective, involves sentencing. Ali's Guideline range called for a mandatory life sentence...continue to full post

Full post as published by Fourth Circuit Blog on June 12, 2008 (boomark / email).