Thu 10 Feb 2005
Luckily reading Elaine Cassel’s book, “The War on Civil Liberties”prepared me for what occurred in court today:
The jury forewoman handed down a guilty verdict on 59 counts; a not guilty verdict was given in count 3 where the government had made a mistake on the indictment.
The forewoman of the jury gave the verdicts clearly, with no apparent emotion. It was only when she came to thank the court personnel that she broke down with emotion and another juror had to give her thanks on behalf of the jury.
I think Magda Bayoumi got it right when she told the prosecutor, Mr. Olmstead, “We have all lost today.”
February 10th, 2005 at 4:59 pm
I just called Ramsey Clarks office and Abdeen Jabara thanked me for my call but also told me that Lynne Stewart was just convicted! What a sad day!
February 10th, 2005 at 5:01 pm
Today is a very bad day in the federal courts and in our country–or in what used to be our country. In two cases the government played on people’s fear of terrorism and won convictions that it probably would not have won before 9/11.
Dr. Dhafir’s, of course, is one case, and civil rights attorney Lynne Stewart’s is the other.
I’m assuming both will appeal, but it’s no small thing to appeal a federal conviction. It costs huge amounts of money, and takes a tremendous toll on the victims of government persecution.
The federal judiciary is not what it used to be.
We have to gear up for some major struggle, people.