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Sami Al-Arian has new high-profile attorney
A prominent Washington attorney taking on the defense of a former professor indicted on charges he raised money for Islamic terrorists said Friday his first challenge to the government is to justify the conditions under which his client is being held. William B. Moffitt said the U.S. Justice Departmentâs insistence that Sami Al-Arian be held under strict confinement at a federal prison northeast of Tampa is violating Al-Arianâs right to assist in his own defense. A hearing will be held Nov. 7 in U.S. District Court in Tampa on the matter. Moffitt said Al-Arian, who faces a 50-count indictment that he used an academic think tank and a charity at the University of South Florida as fronts for financing the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, is being treated as if he has already been convicted of a crime. Al-Arian is housed in the same unit as inmates who have assaulted corrections officers or other prisoners and are considered too dangerous to be held elsewhere.(snip) Moffitt joined the case this week after Al-Arianâs family and supporters were able to raise enough money for a retainer. Moffitt declined to discuss the finances; Al-Arianâs family had previously said it would cost as much as $1.5 million for Moffittâs services. Not doing this pro bono. At least two groups are helping raise money for Al-Arianâs defense: the National Liberty Fund in Washington and the Muslim Civil Rights Center in Hickory Hills, Ill. Ahmad Tansheet, community outreach coordinator for the Muslim Civil Rights Center, said a fund-raiser held in Chicago on Oct. 19 raised about $7,000 for Al-Arianâs defense. Telephone calls to the National Liberty Fund were not returned Friday. Tansheet said raising money for Al-Arian has been difficult, despite his long standing as a community activist, because people are afraid to donate to him and draw the attention of federal investigators. I blame John Ashcroft. Moffitt is the former president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and a legal commentator on national news programs. Among the big cases he has handled is the 1995 trial of William Aramony, the former president of United Way who was charged with defrauding the charity of more than $1 million (details of outcome of trial here). More recently, Moffitt represented Agus Budiman, an Indonesian man living in Virginia who federal agents said had links to the Sept. 11 hijackers. Budiman denied any connection and in May 2002 was convicted of document fraud. "Lies, all lies." The judge gave Budiman a sentence equal to the seven months heâd spent behind bars awaiting trial and Budiman was deported. At the time, Moffitt said his client was a victim of guilt by association and criticized the governmentâs prosecution.
Posted by: Seafarious 2003-11-01 |
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