U.S. Judge Reduces 'Va. Jihad' Sentences

The Washington Post ^ | July 30, 2005 | Jerry Markon

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

U.S. Judge Reduces 'Va. Jihad' Sentences New Terms Still Called 'Draconian' By Jerry Markon Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, July 30, 2005 A federal judge yesterday reduced the sentences of three members of a "Virginia jihad network," ordering the resentencings to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed judges more discretion on such issues. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema was pleased that she had the chance to lessen sentences she had criticized as excessive...

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Way to show the terrorists that we mean business, Leonie!

[harpu]

Brinkema, Leonie M.

Nominated by William J. Clinton on August 6, 1993, to a seat vacated by Albert V. Bryan; Confirmed by the Senate on October 18, 1993, and received commission on October 20, 1993.

[Heatseeker]

YUp, pretty much all I needed to know about "her honor".

[ncountylee]

Nominated by President Bill Clinton. Surprised?

[tet68]

Judge Leonie M. Brinkema AGAIN!

[InsureAmerica]

"""Khan's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said his client "didn't hurt anybody; he didn't shoot anybody. I think it's an abomination he is facing all the time he is facing.""

Ok. We wait until he slaughters some people and THEN lock him up. Got it.

[johniegrad]

Khan's attorney, Jonathan Shapiro, said his client "didn't hurt anybody; he didn't shoot anybody. I think it's an abomination he is facing all the time he is facing."

Anybody else find this relationship ironic?

[PzLdr]

And this pinhead is why the sentencing guidelines were written in the first place. But if there's one thing judges of every stripe and ideology, state or federal, hold to is the sacredness of judicial discretion. And why not? Where else can such a gaggle of political sychophants get such well paying jobs, and convince themselves that they're brilliant. After all, if they weren't, they wouldn't have all that discretion, would they?

[muawiyah]

Brinkema is a damned fool. These Jihadis are from out here in my neighborhood. We do not wish for them to return here. If the judge wants them out early, the judge can make special provisions for that in her own home.

Alternatively, "W" should pack that judge away for safekeeping for the duration of the war ~ just like Wilson did others who commited sedition during wartime.

[InsureAmerica]

Khan's last name is Goldberg?

[Peach]

This is just astounding. I have to wonder if judges like this actually WANT to have more terrorist attacks in this country.

[InsureAmerica]

I think she's running the show for Zacarias Mussaoui (sp?) the 20th hijacker also.

[InsureAmerica]

ALLEGED 20th hijacker that is of course

[Casloy]

Typical for a Clinton hack it's all about perception and not reality. She reduced one of the men's sentence from 85 to 65 years. Ok, so he will get out of prison when he is 90 instead of when his 115. I can live with that. In her mind, she has now shown compassion. What a moron.

[oceanview]

they do, honestly they do. then they can say "Bush isn't fighting the war on terror at home".

can this be appealed?

[goldstategop]

Another federal judge who doesn't get it. Terrorists really deserve the death penalty. Her act makes an excellent case for shifting terrorism offenses to military tribunals.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[oceanview]

Mousaoui should have be tried as an enemy combatant.

[JCEccles]

Chapman, 32, renewed that allegation yesterday. "I see this case as an attack against Islam, and so does the Muslim community," he told Brinkema at the hearing. His voice quavering, Chapman said he has been unfairly labeled a terrorist and treated as such by prison guards.

He actively conspired and trained with at least ten other men to violently attack the nation that nurtured him and protected his rights to work, own property, and practice Islam, rights strictly circumscribed or denied to Christians in the Islamic world.

His sentence was reduced from 85 years to 65 years in prison. The judge said she would have happily reduced it much more, but was prevented from doing so by mandatory sentencing guidelines for firearms related crimes (which, apparently, the SCOTUS decision didn't touch).

Still a good deal for the perps, especially when compared to the death sentences that the perps' fellow Jihadists carried out on the victims of 9/11.

[MizSterious]

As I suspected. Disgusting. It just almost seems that the liberals want this country destroyed, and don't mind cr*pping in their own nests to do it.

[Bigh4u2]

My question is, why was she even allowed to hear the case considering her 'pre-bias' against the sentence?

"U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema was pleased that she had the chance to lessen sentences she had criticized as excessive..."

The procescutor should appeal this. And probably could win on those grounds.

[MizSterious]

You know, right now there are folks on Fox saying how they think the London bombings were just "testing the gear" for a big event in the US. Knowing this, we're still treating these terrorist killers (whether they personally murdered with their own hands or not) like they're juvenile delinquents who tipped over farmer Jones' out-house.

[lowbridge]

The Clinton legacy strikes again.

[popdonnelly]

I was thinking the other day about the German spies who got caught in the U.S. during World War II. They were sent to try to sabotage war production plants. At least one of them was caught, tried, and set to be executed. President Roosevelt insisted that the man be executed, as a warning and example of what would happen if this were tried again. I think this precedent is well worth considering today.

[mississippi red-neck]

to comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling that allowed judges more discretion on such issues.

Don't you just love our separation of powers.

Here we have one group of pin head judges giving another group of pin head judges the power to override the laws of Congress.

I expect any day for them to rule that the president and both houses of congress are unconstitutional.

It might not be a bad idea.

At least we wouldn't have to pay them while they're busy spending our money on their pork projects and the courts are already doing their jobs anyway.

[MizSterious]

Also the railroads. I know this because for many years, my Grandfather worked undercover to catch these spies. Many more were caught than the country ever learned about.

I didn't learn about his service until I was an adult. It was that secret.

[chgomac]

Not just clinton judges do this. This week a republican appointed judge gave a reduced sentence to the millenium bomber in WA.

The courts are a mess. They don't follow the law or use common sense. I've also never seen them so poliltical before either. The judges have a political agenda and have no fear in ruling to support it.

[vaudine]

I knew that when i read the article--just didn't know the dates. It had to be another Clinton judge busily taking a stance for our enemies.

vaudine

[Mr Ramsbotham]

In the case, 11 Muslim men, all but one from the Washington suburbs, were charged with taking part in paramilitary training, including playing paintball in the Virginia countryside, to prepare for holy war abroad.

I'm sure there was more to it than this.

[Just A Nobody]

It was that secret.

Ahhh, the good old days when love of country, honor and ethics meant something.

The CIA, FBI, Generals in the military etc didn't "leak" top secret information to the press.

Maybe that is really why they are called the greatest generation.

[MizSterious]

I can't say for sure, but I suspect that some of today's "leakers" would have been punished as traitors in those days.

[thoughtomator]

Liberalism = suicide

[jim macomber]

"I was thinking the other day about the German spies who got caught in the U.S. during World War II. They were sent to try to sabotage war production plants. At least one of them was caught, tried, and set to be executed."

More than one. Ex Parte Quirin 317 US 1.

[jackbill]

The eight "spies" were tried by military tribunal. Six of the eight died in the electric chair five days after the guilty verdict.

[Just A Nobody]

I can't say for sure

Oh, I think you could say it with 99.99999999% accuracy.

[Katya]

There was a ludicrous article in the Montgomery county gazette about the fellow named Khan, including his pic where he makes every effort to at least look the part of a terrorist jihadi.
Apparently right after 9-11 he traveled to Pakistan to sign some papers for his mother regarding property in his dead fathers name. Then while he was in Pakistan he visited a terrorist training camp....oh, but he wasn't there for the training...no,no, he was looking to buy some land on the property. Oh, and he also used to go paintballing with the other jihadi's in Virginia, which is also just a coincidence considering he lives in Montgomery Village, Maryland. It's just a set of coincidences that's all....and for that he got life plus 65 yrs, which this Clinton judge has reduced to life plus 45.

[Sandy]

This is just plain stupid. Congress has had over six months to figure out what to do about Booker/Fanfan. And what have they done besides have a couple of hearings? Nothing. Flippin idiots.