NEW YORK (AP) - A veteran civil rights lawyer was convicted Thursday of crossing the line by smuggling messages of violence from one of her jailed clients - a radical Egyptian sheik - to his terrorist disciples on the outside.
The jury had deliberated 13 days over the past month before convicting Lynne Stewart, 65, a firebrand, left-wing activist known for representing radicals and revolutionaries in her 30 years on the New York legal scene.
Stewart faces up to 20 years in prison on charges that include conspiracy, giving material support to terrorists and defrauding the U.S. government.
Minutes before the verdict was read, Stewart said she felt "nervous. I'm scared, worried." When she heard the pronouncement, Stewart began shaking her head and wiping her eyes. The courtroom was filled with her supporters, who gasped. She will remain free on bail, but must stay in New York, until her July 15 sentencing.
Alia Vibe: Yes yes, I know: Ms Stewart thinks that violence is sometimes necessary. What is it? To throw off oppression and racism and the rest of it all, evil capitalism. Not the capitalism I know which has morality as its underpinnings. Again, capitalism without morals is mere thuggery. Like, under Saddam Hussein. Anyway, about her going to prison. In another blog, I detailed my cross-country adventures, and sure enough I landed in the absolute dead center of an inner-city zone. I met drug addicts, transvestites, prostitutes, young pimps. And I had good chats with each of them. It was refreshing for me to hear how much they love our country (warts and all), and wanted to see justice served on to murders on behalf of the nearly 3,000 victims of the WTC. That 9-11 was an evil act. And now, a female lawyer who has aided and abetted known terrorists is going to jail.
May those I met in that urban zone experience honor and faith in that justice has been served.
2 comments:
I have to wonder:
Given that we are in a wartime situation and the original WTC attacks is now linked to the 9/11 attacks, does she qualify for the appropriate penalties for her actions?
I doubt it would happen: She's a lawyer. There's that "special immunity" clause which I think would prevent this.
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