On Tuesday April 27, Fahad Hashmi took a government plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to 1 count of conspiracy for allowing an acquaintance to store waterproof socks, ponchos and raincoats in his apartment. The government dropped the other 3 charges. Fahad made this decision after having served 3 long years in solitary confinement and one [...]
Archive for April, 2010
After 3 Years in Solitary Fahad Takes a Plea
Posted in General Info, Trial Watch, tagged anonymous jury, civil liberties, human rights, Metropolitan Correctional Center, Syed Fahad Hashmi on April 28, 2010 | 2 Comments »
What does the government really want to protect the jury from?
Posted in General Info, Trial Watch, tagged anonymous jury, fair trial, judicial process, media, pre-trial publicity, Sixth Amendment, Syed Fahad Hashmi, United States v. Ross, United States v. Stewart, voir dire on April 27, 2010 | 2 Comments »
As the defense attorneys argued in their brief, to warrant an anonymous jury the government must show a “strong reason to believe the jury needs protection.” That’s because the rights at stake are huge.
Where is the “Impartial Jury”?
Posted in Community Voices, General Info, tagged anonymous jury, due process, impartial jury, Syed Fahad Hashmi, William Fisher on April 27, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
As William Fisher points out, the amount of privacy that the potential jurors are afforded when asked questioned raises the issue of the definition of “impartial jury.”
What if all this were just legal strategy…
Posted in Trial Watch, tagged Department of Justice, Guantanamo, Judge Preska, national security, SAMs, Special Administrative Measures, Syed Fahad Hashmi on April 25, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
I fear that Fahad is also a victim to the government’s national security policy, a hostage on a ship that has committed itself to sailing into an iceberg. If Fahad is found guilty, we’ll have to watch the government bungle its way through another mess like Guantánamo. How long will the government impose solitary confinement on individuals who pose no real threat?
Why More Organizations Need to Sign On to the Open Letter
Posted in General Info, tagged Amnesty International, CAIR, Center for Constitutional Rights, human rights, SAMs, solitary confinement, Syed Fahad Hashmi on April 24, 2010 | 1 Comment »
Yesterday, the Center for Constitutional Rights, The Council on American Islamic Relations-New York, and Amnesty International released an open letter expressing serious concern over the upcoming trial of Syed Fahad Hashmi. The letter urges the Attorney General, Eric Holder to both review and revise Department of Justice regulations which govern the implementation of Special Administrative [...]
