[xzins]

Padilla insisted during his "religious" period that he be known as Abdullah al Muhajir.

We would do better referring to him as Muhajir....keeps things in perspective.

Personally, I don't see any problem with the authorities doing a little forum shopping. Go where you can get the conviction. If the guy's not convictable, then he won't be convicted there either.

[jude24]

We would do better referring to him as Muhajir....keeps things in perspective.

No, it confuses the issue that Jose Padilla is an American citizen charged with criminal violations.

Personally, I don't see any problem with the authorities doing a little forum shopping. Go where you can get the conviction. If the guy's not convictable, then he won't be convicted there either.

The fundamental flaw in your assumptions here is that you assume that the courts have uniform standards. The procedural (and, I believe, evidentiary) rules in a military tribunal are radically different than in Federal Court. More importantly, however, once you picked your venue you are stuck with it. You can't just up and move to another venue just because the first venue gave you an adverse ruling.