NY appeals court overturns terrorism verdicts
Lawyer Blogs
A federal appeals court Thursday overturned the convictions of a Yemeni cleric and his deputy, finding they were prejudiced by inflammatory testimony about unrelated terrorism links in a case the United States once touted as a victory in its war against terrorism.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Thursday that Sheik Mohammed Ali Al-Moayad and Mohammed Mohsen Zayed, convicted of supporting terrorists, can have new trials. The three-judge panel took the unusual step of ordering the transfer of the case to a new judge.
The men were convicted in federal court in Brooklyn after a six-week trial in early 2005 on charges of conspiring to support al-Qaida and Hamas, supporting the Palestinian group and attempting to support al-Qaida. Their trial featured testimony by an FBI informant who set himself on fire outside the White House, saying he wanted more money from the FBI.
Al-Moayad, 60, was sentenced to 75 years in prison. Zayed, 34, was sentenced to 45 years.
The appeals court said the defendants were prejudiced by testimony from a Scottish law student who told of a deadly suicide bombing on a bus in Tel Aviv and by an American citizen of Yemeni heritage who attended an al-Qaida training camp in Afghanistan in 2001.
Related listings
-
Court denies GOP appeal on Ohio early voting
Lawyer Blogs 10/01/2008The Ohio GOP suffered another legal defeat Tuesday, as a federal appeals court ruled against the party's appeal involving a disputed early voting window that allows Ohio voters to register and cast a ballot on the same day.A three-judge panel of the ...
-
Top court will review who pays for Superfund site
Lawyer Blogs 10/01/2008The Supreme Court has agreed to decide what share railroads and an oil company should bear of the cleanup of a contaminated industrial site in Arvin, Calif., near Bakersfield, that threatened drinking water supplies.Shell Oil Co. and the railroads — ...
-
Conservative judges fault Scalia opinion on guns
Lawyer Blogs 09/29/2008Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia is no stranger to criticism. He gives as good as he gets.But two recent critiques of his opinion in the landmark decision guaranteeing people the right keep guns at home for self-defense are notable because they c...
Is Now the Time to Really Call a Special Education Lawyer?
IDEA, FAPE, CHILD FIND and IEPs: The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) guarantees all children with disabilities to a free appropriate public education (FAPE). FAPE starts with a school’s responsibility to identify that a child has a disability (Child Find) and create an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to suit the needs of the child.
Forte Law Group is one of only a very few law firms within the state of Connecticut that is dedicated to exclusively representing families and children with special needs.
Parents need to be persistent, dedicated and above all else aware of the many services and accommodations that their child is entitled to under the law. As early as this point within your child’s special education, many parents will often find themselves in the situation asking, “is now the time to really call a special education lawyer?” Here are a few things to consider when asking yourself that question.