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28 Months in Jail for Lynne Stewart

2006_10_lynnestewart.jpg

Well-known radical lawyer Lynne Stewart was sentenced today to 28 months in prison. In February 2005, she found guilty of terror charges - she had smuggled messages from terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman to his followers in defiance of prison rules. Stewart had been pleading for leniency, as she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, and before the sentencing, Stewart's lawyer Elizabeth Fink said, "If you send her to prison, she's going to die. It's as simple as that." The AP reported that Stewart smiled when she heard 28 month sentence; she had faced a maximum of 30 years in prison. The NY Times mentions that Judge Koetl acknowledged that there was "'no evidence that any victim was in fact harmed' by her actions" and noted her career as a "lawyer to the poor and the unpopular." Stewart will be appealing.

Prior to sentencing, Stewart had been remorseful of her actions. In an interview published in the NY Times today, Stewart said of her actions, “I ignored any warning signs. I led with my heart instead of my head and thought it would be all right.” Check out the article for remarks from her former translator Mohammed Yousry. The Washington Post had a good story about him and his sad case - Yousry happens to be married to an evangelical Christian and one of the jurors on the case was upset that other jurors "talked of terrorist attacks and their desire to teach the defendants a lesson" as reasons why they did convict.

Photograph of Lynne Stewart and her supporters outside of Manhattan federal court before her sentencing by Louis Lanzano/AP

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Comments [rss]

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  • RUSS

    Oddree

    DO NOT FEEL SORRY FOR ME.

    I FEEL FUNNY RENTING SPACE IN YOUR HEAD FOR FREE. FEEL SORRY FOR YOURSELF YOU JUST HAVE ALOT OF DOUBLE TALK, KEEP IT SIMPLE. THE WOMAN NEEDS TO BE PUNISHED REALLY!! THINK OF ALL THE FAMILIES FROM 9/11 WHO ARE IN GREAT PAIN. TERRORIST'S ARE DEATH MERCHANTS.

    THE NATION OF ISLAM CAN WIPE MY ASS. ALI IS A ASS HOLE WHO KEEPS SHITTING ON INNOCENT PEOPLE. YOU NEED TO DO SOME READING, THE NAZI'S AND THE CURRENT TERRORIST GANG'S ARE TIED TOGETHER FROM WWII READ YOUR DAM HISTORY SMART AZZ.

    THE NATION OF ISLAM IS A BACKED UP TOILET.

    ASA(•¿•)LAMA(•¿•)LAKEM

  • Oddree

    I will qualify this comment with the following:

    I was the editor for the translation agency that handled this case. I viewed and heard and read EVERY single piece of evidence that was considered - including countless FISA taps of Yousry, Sattar, Stewart, and the other "lawyers" who were "fortunate" enough not to be indicted. While I am not at liberty to discuss the actual information provided therein, I am allowed to share my opinion regarding the facts.

    To the following individuals:

    "Providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist group... Telling the sheikh's followers -- in a public announcement on the courthouse steps -- that he was withdrawing his support for a moratorium on acts of terror by the group against the Egyptian government. Soon after the sheikh's terrorist group took credit for a suicide bombing in Cairo.

    Visits to the sheikh in prison. She was making noise to conceal the fact that he was exchanging information with an interpreter.

    The judge should have given her 30 yrs."

    Posted by: Terry | October 16, 2006 4:47 PM

    - One can endlessly debate as to whether al-Gama'ah al-Islamiyya did or did not take credit for all the acts attributed to them; or whether they are actually a "terrorist group," rather than a dogmatic fundamentalist entity. (Try researching the matter and writing a PhD dissertation on it - whatever your conclusion may be, you will most likely find yourself in prison).

    Regardless, the press release was an erroneous step on Lynne's part - ONLY because she was in violation of the SAM (Special Administrative Measures) imposed against OAR (Omar Abdel Rahman). Unwise, yes. But an act of terrorism? NO. If you were to have followed her career as a lawyer and have listened to her speech patterns throughout her lifetime - rather than myopicly and ignorantly regard this occasion as her life's ambition - you would realize that she is, was and always has been a pundit for human rights and free speech, including those/that of prisoners.

    Furthermore, keep in mind the fact that most of the evidence being examined and weighed in this case took place before 9/11; whereas the media perspective taken regarding this case is one of a post-9/11 stance. When Lynne misstepped, she did so in a new environment of paranoia, one in which the Patriot Act moved freely across the land as the totalitarian Bush's appendage.

    Finally, as to Lynne's "visiting the Shaykh in prison" - she was HIRED as his appeals lawyer - ALONG with three others: Abdeen Jabara (I will refrain from speculating as to his allegiances as a lawyer - but note that he spoke Arabic and OFTEN conversed with the Shaykh sans Yousry and was NOT indicted), Lawrence Schilling, and former Attorney General Ramsey Clark. NONE of these other three were indicted... even though they acted in tandem with Lynne.

    Yousry was APPROVED by the GOVERNMENT - not Lynne Stewart, not any foreign defense agency. He has worked for countless years as a government trial translator and interpreter. His father was a promininent individual in the US-supported Egyptian government. He is an intellectual. He is married to a fundamentatlist Christian. He is NOT and NEVER has been a Muslim.

    The sole reason for his indictement is that OAR did not speak English; Lynne did not speak Arabic; without the translator/interpreter, there would have been nothing for Lynne to disseminate. Yousry did not disseminate information. He did not mis-translate. He simply did what THE GOVERNMENT HAD HIRED HIM TO DO: i.e., translate for one individual and said individual's legal representation. If the government were to have meted out justice fairly, they should have indicted AT&T for facilitating the Shaykh in making his legally allowed calls to his lawyers; they should have imprisoned the telephone on which he spoke; they should have tried themselves for allowing the law that anyone is entitled to legal representation to exist.

    "Despite her age, she will not be looked at as an ederly person. She's a traitor. Traitors along with child molestors and rapists, do not fair well in Federal prison. She'll be lucky if she makes it out alive.

    Any person who is willing to help a TERRORIST is

    a devil. The judge should have sent her to the death chamber yesterday. I have no mercy for anyone who helps any terrorist from any nation.

    What part of TERRORIST don't you understand?

    TERRORIST = DEATH

    [12] Posted by: RUSS | October 16, 2006 7:54 PM

    Shoot the Bitch in the HEAD

    [13] Posted by: PISSOFF | October 16, 2006 8:09 PM"

    I shan't even bother to rebut in regard to your comments, RUSS and PISSOFF. I will only say that I feel sorry for you - that you should go through life with such a misunderstanding as to human beings, politics and the nuances of the law. Such polarized thought is pitiful. I recommend that you remove your American flag-blindfold, let go of your blind hate, read something other than the NY Post and open your mind to actual information and facts.

    I will end with this comment: I am HONORED to have met such a good and genuine and kind and sincere and jovial and intelligent individual as Mohamed Yousry. He loves this country more than any detractor of terrorists ever will as he is willing to stand up for what the country is supposed to exemplify. An amazing human being, a kind soul, a loving father and husband, a purely good and gentle person - Mohamed Yousry is the true victim in this trial.

  • *Hamas WAS democratically elected last year.*

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  • ethos

    "Dems already have Keith Ellison running from Nation of Islam..."

    He quit the NOI a looooong time ago.

    "whose buddies are convicted activists for Hamas, Hezbollah..."

    Other than one former, remote association with an Arab-rights organization that was LATER charged with fundraising for terrorist groups, I have no idea where you're getting that from.

    "...and other nice democratic organisations."

    Love 'em or hate 'em, Hamas WAS democratically elected last year.

    Not trying to pick a fight, just gotta provide some balalnce.

  • eyes a rollin', lay off the Kool Aid and get a clue.

  • eyes a rollin'

    "That being said: This isn't the wild, wild west. She was sentenced under the rule of Law and despite the rhetoric this administration is spewing, the Judge apparently doesn't think it rates more than what she was sentenced."

    Yeah, and judges are always impartial. Wake up, jackass.

  • Ben Dover

    Fair is fair.

    But will Bush get AT LEAST 28 YEARS for lying to us about Iraq, authorizing torture, spying illegally on the people of the United States, creating a world-wide system of secret jails & torture centers?.

    There's more; the failed response after Katrina, our huuuuuuuuge deficit, and creating more enemies than we ever had before we set out.

    I doubt he'll get even 28 minutes.

    Then I change my mind: FREE THE F*ING FAT ATTORNEY LADY NOW !!!!

  • "The judge should have sent her to the death chamber yesterday."?

    "Shoot the Bitch in the HEAD"?

    Niiiiiiice.

    Let me be clear: I disagree with what she did. If she objected to what the Judge agreed upon, she should have followed the system, respected the rule of Law and keep appealing.

    That being said: This isn't the wild, wild west. She was sentenced under the rule of Law and despite the rhetoric this administration is spewing, the Judge apparently doesn't think it rates more than what she was sentenced.

  • dg

    Only 28 months?

    Ron and Fez

    XM 202

  • roy

    I'm sure she will run for Congress. At least she can count on support from the pelosi democrats. Dems already have Keith Ellison running from Nation of Islam whose buddies are convicted activists for Hamas, Hezbollah and other nice democratic organisations. Great to have these fellas in Congress getting access to secret documents (which can be passed to Hamas), just like Sandy Berger stole secret 9/11 documents.

  • fishtale

    at least she knows no one will ever try to touch her in jail. she's gross

  • PISSOFF

    Shoot the Bitch in the HEAD

  • RUSS

    Any person who is willing to help a TERRORIST is

    a devil. The judge should have sent her to the death chamber yesterday. I have no mercy for anyone who helps any terrorist from any nation.

    What part of TERRORIST don't you understand?

    TERRORIST = DEATH

  • bklynd

    I think Alex and Tom are having a little contest there, as to who can write the sillier pseudo-illiterate comment. It's "prosion" (a real Gothamist typo from a few days ago) vs. "PRION."

    And the winner is: prosion. Way better than PRION. Though, really, both post could be better.

  • where's my timfoil?

    Hey Tom, take your meds and come back when you can write a coherent sentence. If there is a conspiracy out there you are the last guy qualified to unearth it.

  • stay away

    "so, when does George W Bush start serving his time?"

    Another loser than can't have a rational discussion without bringing up George Bush. People like you hold back the country as much as any GOP hack.

  • Tom

    If we are sending "Lynne Stewart" to the jail or prison for support Terrorism in America, than what about G.W.BUSH , DICK CHENNY and DONALD DUCK ? Who terrorise our WORLD ,

    Now nuthing is behind the SCREEN that who blow up the WTC. Everybody knows, about that, why they didn't sent to them PRION ? People wake up, open your EYES don't get and close your EYES.

    Also remember, We can close our eyes, we can sleep, but GOD the Almighty GOD, he is watcvhing everything, one day he ( GOD ) will catch BUSH and his GANG

    GOOD LUCK Lynne Stewart. You can hide a LIE 1000 Years, but can't hide a TRUTH by anything

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