Clinton-appointed, Democrat-confirmed Judge drops terror-assist charges [Partial re-post]

ny1, judge records ^ | 7/23/3

[NativeNewYorker]

A federal judge announced Tuesday that two of the main charges filed against a controversial civil rights lawyer accused of helping a terrorist are being dropped.

Attorney Lynne Stewart is accused of promoting terrorism by helping one of her clients, convicted terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, pass messages to his associates.

A federal judge is dismissing two of the five counts against Stewart on the grounds that the charges she conspired to support a terrorist organization were "unconstitutionally vague." The judge has ordered a hearing on the remaining counts.

In response, a spokesman for U.S. District Attorney James Comey released a statement reading: “We continue to believe that the statute prohibiting material support of terrorism is constitutional, and we are reviewing our appellate options."

Stewart maintains she did nothing wrong and that her jailhouse visits to Rahman were protected by the First Amendment. Rahman is serving a life sentence for conspiring to blow up New York City landmarks.

Stewart’s trial had been scheduled for early next year.

[NativeNewYorker]

This story names the judge:

Southern District of New York Judge John G. Koeltl

And here's the judge's bio:

Koeltl

Koeltl, John George

Born 1945 in New York, NY

Federal Judicial Service:
U. S. District Court, Southern District of New York
Nominated by William J. Clinton on April 26, 1994, to a seat vacated by Shirley Wohl Kram; Confirmed by the Senate on August 9, 1994, and received commission on August 10, 1994.

Education:
Georgetown University, A.B., 1967

Harvard Law School, J.D., 1971

Professional Career:
Law clerk, Hon. Edward Weinfeld, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 1971-1972
Law clerk, Justice Potter Stewart, Supreme Court of the United States, 1972-1973
Assistant special prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force, 1973-1974
Private practice, New York City, 1975-1994

Race or Ethnicity: White

Gender: Male

Appointed by Clinton, confirmed by a Democrat-controlled Congress.

What's the name of Ann Coulter's book again?

[NativeNewYorker]

ping

[an amused spectator]

Assistant special prosecutor, Watergate Special Prosecution Force, 1973-1974

Interesting. He was involved in the Nixon coup with Hillary Stalina.

[NativeNewYorker]

The fifth column is beavering away, undeterred by the electorate, the constitution, or 3,000 9/11 corpses.

How...Leninist.

[OldFriend]

Ron Kuby-commiepig was cheering this dismissal of charges. Calls her a friend.

Kuby-commiepig rushed to the Jersey City neighborhood where the blind sheik had his so called mosque and informed the people in the area that they did NOT have to answer any questions posed by the FBI.

What a great American and how nice of Disney to hire the likes of this america hating scum and give him a four hour forum to bash everything America holds sacred.

[NativeNewYorker]

I've never been able to to listen to Kuby. With IMUS on the skids, I am limited to WBBR, Bloomberg business radio, for my morning background noise.

[OldFriend]

Kuby-commiepig is insufferable. He got into a fight with Dick Morris this morning. Hope someone else heard it and put up a transcript. Kuby continues to blame Israel for all the world's troubles.

[Tunehead54]

TREASON!

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Not certain if there's an exclamation point in her title but its appropriate here.

[InvisibleChurch]

lynn stewart