Florida Case Angers Muslim Groups

Wall Street Journal ^ | May 30, 2009 | Joel Millman

[reaganaut1]

A federal immigration judge denied bail Friday to a 23-year-old engineering student from Tampa who has been charged by the U.S. government for engaging in terrorism.

The defendant, Youssef Megahed, has already been acquitted by a federal jury of related charges. But now, he faces essentially the same charges again in an immigration court, where if he is found guilty he faces deportation back to his native Egypt.

The case has inflamed Muslim immigrant groups, and has become a cause célèbre in Egypt, where President Barack Obama makes a much anticipated trip next week. The issue: Whether an immigrant defendant who is acquitted in one U.S. court can be detained and then retried in an immigration court, without invoking protection against double jeopardy, which forbids prosecutors from trying defendants more than once on the same evidence.

The undergraduate from the University of South Florida was arrested in 2007 in South Carolina with a companion, another USF student from Egypt named Ahmed Mohamed, driving a car that allegedly had explosives in the trunk. Mr. Megahed's companion explained the lengths of PVC pipe and chemical compounds were simply home-made fireworks that the Mr. Mohamed planned to detonate for fun during a vacation. Mr. Mohamed later agreed to plead guilty to a federal charge of providing material support to terrorism -- and submit to a 15-year sentence -- while six charges of transporting explosives were dropped.

Mr. Megahed decided to fight those charges in court and was acquitted April 3 on four criminal counts stemming from the arrest. He had already served nine months in jail before making bail prior to the opening of his trial in March in Tampa.

[reaganaut1]

We should need proof "beyond a reasonable doubt" to throw someone in jail but not to send a non-citizen back to his home country.

[Frantzie]

Deport him!

[BipolarBob]

Muzzies are offended? Tough. They offend me all the time so we’re even.

[Graybeard58]

Off with his head.

[EagleUSA]

I was “offended” on 9/11. But that did not really happen according to the LibTards....in their faux reality.

[La Lydia]

"Mr. Megahed was arrested a second time by Immigration and Customs Enforcement special agents for immigration violations, "which differ from the allegations on his criminal case," although they derive from the criminal charges presented at his trial, said Nicole Navas, spokeswoman for ICE. If he is found guilty, he faces removal from the U.S., though he would have "the opportunity to bring his case before an immigration judge," she said...

Why wasn't he deported immediately after he was acquitted?

Association with terrorists is a valid reason for exclusion, and he was caught traveling with someone who pleaded guilty to several different terroristic activities. He should have been gone the next day. I can't imagine why he didn't go home on his own.

[lafroste]

Everything offends muslim groups. Screw ‘em.

[FourPeas]

Muslims are so easily offended. By cartoons, women showing their ears, other religion’s holy books, not being allowed to blow up whomever they please,...

[TopDog2]

What moronic jury acquitted this guy?

[Uncle Miltie]

"Off with his head"

You can't do that. It's mega.

[beelzepug]

I thought most of these arrogant muslims had mega-heads.

[G8 Diplomat]

[rbosque]

Send ‘em all back, their religion is fundamentally and diametrically opposed to our Constitution anyways. Why on Earth would they come here to begin with???

[Lancey Howard]

So, Youssef Megahed and Ahmed Mohamed were driving a car that had explosives in the trunk and they claim the lengths of PVC pipe and chemical compounds were simply home-made fireworks that Mr. Mohamed planned to detonate for fun during a vacation.

Right.
Throw the two scumbags out of a helicopter.

[odin2008]

CAIR bear

[Pontiac]

The case has inflamed Muslim immigrant groups, and has become a cause célèbre in Egypt, The issue: Whether an immigrant defendant who is acquitted in one U.S. court can be detained and then retried in an immigration court, without invoking protection against double jeopardy, which forbids prosecutors from trying defendants more than once on the same evidence.

The prohibition of double jeopardy can not be invoked because Mr. Megahed is not in jeopardy for his life or freedom.

Mr. Megahed is not a US citizen and is not entitled to freedom of movement in the US. He is in the US on a (I presume) student visa which can be revoked at any time if he fails to abide by the conditions of that visa.

[HiTech RedNeck]

yeah, this was just a “hold my beer and watch this” good old boy.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

The big question was who or what was the target of their “home-made fireworks.” Lots of Jewish targets in Florida, now the home to more Jihadists than Minnesota.

By the way, PVC pipe, drilled, filled and capped is just as deadly as any iron pipe bomb. The plastic splinters are very hard to get out of a wounded person’s body. That is one hallmark of a terrorist.

The people on the jury were fools, but then again, the Democrats have flooded Florida to the point that the state IQ has dropped below that of a Manatee.

[lucias_clay]

Indeed.