Florida professor acquitted on key count of aiding Islamic Jihad

By The Associated Press

TAMPA, Florida - A former Florida professor was acquitted on a key charge Tuesday that he helped lead a Palestinian terrorist group that has carried out suicide bombings against Israel.

In one of the biggest courtroom tests yet of the Patriot Act's expanded search and surveillance powers, the federal jury acquitted Sami Al-Arian on eight of the 17 counts against him. The jury deadlocked on the others.

Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida computer engineering professor, wept after the verdicts and his attorney, Linda Moreno hugged him. He will go back to jail until prosecutors decide whether retry him on the deadlocked charges.

>snip

Co-defendants Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Zayed Ballut were acquitted of all charges against them.

Another, Hatem Naji Fariz, was found not guilty on 24 counts and jurors
deadlocked on the remaining eight.

The U.S. Justice Department had no immediate comment.

More at;
Haaretz

The only issue I have is "He will go back to jail until prosecutors decide whether retry him on the deadlocked charges." If they are needing time to decide, he should not be in jail while they mull their options. I am OK with them holding his passport, but other than that, he should be released until new charges are filed, not sitting in jail until they decide to refile.

O'Liey will be fun to watch tonight :popcorn: He hates Al-Arian...



But Bush and Rove love him, he is a main reason Bush got 80% of the Muslim vote in 2000 in Florida :(