do you know anything about the actual charges they are bringing in the civilian case? is that a strong case?
Not much. I haven't read the indictment. Here is part of a November report ...
Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held in a Navy brig as an enemy combatant for more than three years, was charged Tuesday with being part of a North American terror cell that sent money and recruits overseas to "murder, maim and kidnap."However, absent from the indictment were the sensational allegations made earlier by top Justice Department officials: that Padilla sought to blow up U.S. hotels and apartment buildings and planned an attack on America with a radiological "dirty bomb."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/11/22/national/w080854S36.DTL
http://wid.ap.org/documents/051122padilla_indictment.pdf
I can't convert directly to text, and haven't gone digging for an HTML or text version. Violations are ...
18 USC 956(a)(1) and 2
18 USC 371 and 2339A(a)
18 USC 2339A(a) and 2
18 USC 922(g)(5)(B)
18 USC 1001(a) (perjury)
18 USC 1621(1) (false statement)
The indictment is an interesting read, and the story it tells has five direct players, but is disjointed and full of coded messages. Assuming all of the allegations are true, these guys will be convicted, IMO.
Lots of papers at http://www.wiggin.com/practices/areainfo.asp?groupid=5&areaID=231 ...
Order Granting Release from Military Custody - January 4, 2006
Government Reply on Application for Extraordinary Relief - January 3, 2006
Padilla's Response to Government Application for Extraordinary Relief - December 30, 2005
Government Application for Extraordinary Relief - December 28, 2005
Padilla's Petition for Certiorari - October 25, 2005
Government's Opposition to Certiorari - December 16, 2005
Padilla's Reply Brief - December 27, 2005
Supreme Court Docket (ongoing)