MIAMI — Jurors reached a verdict Thursday in the trial of Jose Padilla and two co-defendants charged with supporting Al Qaeda and other violent Islamic extremist groups overseas.Michelle Malkin has a rundown of the charges. More when the verdict is announced.
The verdict was to be read at 2 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke. The jury of seven men and five women deliberated for about a day and a half following a three-month trial.
Padilla, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi face possible sentences of life in prison if convicted of all three charges in the case.
The three are accused of being part of a North American support cell that provided supplies, money and recruits to groups of Islamic extremists. The defense contended they were trying to help persecuted Muslims in war zones with relief and humanitarian aid.
UPDATE: GUILTY!!! On all counts! Pdailla and his co-defendants have been found guilty on all counts (From CNN.com):
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- The jury in the Jose Padilla terror trial has convicted the American on charges of conspiracy to support Islamic terrorism overseas.Well, what do you know! There IS justice in this world! Just hope the sentence fits the crime.
The verdict came after less than two days of deliberations, according to a U.S. District Court official.
Padilla and two co-defendants were convicted on all counts.
Padilla pleaded not guilty. At his trial, defense attorneys argued Padilla went overseas only to study Islam.
During the trial, prosecutors played more than 70 intercepted phone calls among the defendants for jurors, including seven that featured Padilla, 36. He is a Brooklyn-born convert to Islam originally arrested as a suspect in a "dirty bomb" plot.
FBI agent John Kavanaugh testified that the calls were made in code, which Padilla used to discuss traveling overseas to fight with Islamic militants, along with side trips to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.
In closing arguments, Padilla's lawyers argued he never spoke in code. His voice is heard on only seven of 300,000 taped conversations.
They also tried to rebut a key piece of prosecution evidence -- an al Qaeda terrorist training camp application or "mujahedeen data form."
UPDATE: The lefties are going ballistic!! Yeah, I know, no surprise. Too much to write about here. You can read more at Jammie Wearing Fool.
