Judge in Padilla Case Draw Praise

The trial of suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla is by far the biggest ever for U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke, and she is drawing praise for how she has handled the pressure and the complexity of the case.

Appointed by President Bush in 2004, Cooke has the least experience on the bench of any federal judge in Florida's southern district. But those in legal circles say that has not been an issue.

``Judge Cooke seems to be handling a very difficult, extremely high-profile case very well,'' said Carl Tobias, a University of Richmond law professor who has closely followed the case. ``The judge in this type of case is under enormous pressure because every action is so closely scrutinized by the attorneys, the press and the public.''

Padilla and two co-defendants are accused of being part of a support cell for Islamic extremist groups involved in violence around the world, with Padilla allegedly attending an al-Qaida terror training camp.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6666403,00.html