Mistrial in Florida domestic terrorism case
Published: Wednesday April 16, 2008
A US federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in case of six Florida men charged with plotting to blow up buildings with help from the Al-Qaeda terror network.
Prosecutors had asked for stiff prison sentences for the defendants known as the "Liberty City Seven" -- named after the poor, predominantly African-American Miami neighborhood where they live -- who were arrested in June 2006.
The group's first trial ended in December 2007 in a hung jury. At that time one of the accused was released.
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Alicia Valle, a spokeswoman at US attorney's office in Miami, said Wednesday that prosecutors will announce their next legal move on April 23.
Federal Judge Joan Leonard ruled that, after two weeks of deliberations, enough time had gone by for the jury to reach a verdict. Since no decision was taken, she ruled a mistrial.
The six men had been accused of conspiring to provide assistance to Al-Qaeda, to carry out acts of terror and to bring down the US government. They allegedly planned to blow up the 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI offices in Miami, and shoot any survivors.
Prosecutors admitted the terrorist plot was in its infancy, but insisted that the group, and especially its leader, Narseal Batiste, were serious about the attacks.
The 12 jurors were shown secretly-taped video footage of the defendants pledging an oath to Al-Qaeda in the presence of an undercover FBI informant posing as a member of the terrorist network.
The defense however argued that their clients feigned interest in carrying out attacks because they hoped to get money from the informant.
Defense attorney Nathan Clark argued that the defendants -- poor African Americans between the ages of 20 and 30 -- did not properly understand the scheme the informant was presenting, and only wanted to stuff their pockets.
Prosecutors said the plot was discovered after a man who had recently left Miami for his native Yemen called the FBI to say Batiste had asked him to get in touch with Al-Qaeda.
The man was flown back to Miami, infiltrated the group and later brought in another FBI informant, who posed as an Al-Qaeda member.