Federal prosecutors preparing to try a man accused of plotting a terrorist attack on New York City’s subways want a judge to take heightened security measures to ensure the safety of jurors who will decide the case.
Brooklyn prosecutors have requested that the identity of jurors be kept secret throughout the suicide bomb plot trial of Adis Medunjanin this spring and want US Marshals to escort the panelists to and from the federal courthouse.
“This case involves allegations that [Medunjanin] conspired to kill American servicemen abroad, pledged his support to senior al Qaeda leaders, returned to New York City to conduct a ‘martyrdom’ attack against the civilian population here, and actually attempted to kill himself and others on behalf of al-Qaeda when he believed that authorities were close to arresting him,” Assistant US Attorney David Bitkower wrote to a federal judge.
Such precautions are advisable “given the nature of the allegations [and] the involvement of al Qaeda — a foreign terrorist organization with global reach and a history of targeting civilians in New York City,” Bitkower wrote.
But Medunjanin’s defense attorneys counter that such protective measures are exaggerated, unnecessary, and will only serve to create suspicion among jurors that the man on trial must be guilty, which would violate constitutional rights guaranteeing him a fair trial.
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“Medunjanin’s defense attorneys counter that such protective measures are exaggerated, unnecessary, and will only serve to create suspicion among jurors that the man on trial must be guilty”
Now WHY on earth would anyone think a nice, clean-cut fellow like him is guilty? 😉