JUDGE TOSSES (Phoney) PILOT EVIDENCE

New York Post ^ | 1/16/02 | KATI CORNELL SMITH

[kattracks]

January 16, 2002 -- In a blow to prosecutors' case against an alleged phony Egyptian pilot, jurors won't know about the homemade pilot's uniform and posters of plane cockpits Wael Kishk carried on a flight to Kennedy Airport on Sept. 19, a federal judge ruled.

[Congressman Billybob]

So the judge threw out key evidence againt the "fake" pilot because he thought it would "influence the jury"? Well, bonehead, that's exactly what evidence is for, to influence the jury. Otherwise, why have trials?

No military court would have thrown out evidence that was undeniably true, for such an absurd reason. This is an illustration of why the anti-terorist trials should not be in the hands of civil courts. Occasionally one would get foolish decisions like this one.

Congressman Billybob

Click & bokmark for Phil & Billybob in the mornings.

[cb]

Will all the islamists being let out of jail these days, I'm going to have to start saying that I DO BELIEVE in coincidence! After all:

The sanantonio doctor whose credit card bought tickets was not involved.

The two men taken off a train leaving fort worth with $25grand and box cutters were not involved

the student in the hotel across from the WTC with airplane radio was not involved.

And now, a fake pilot complete with uniform was not involved.

You have to admit, there's a lot of coincidence there for us country boys to live with.

[a_witness]

Brooklyn federal Judge Charles Sifton barred the evidence, saying it could put jurors "on a road of speculation" that Kishk was going to turn a plane into a missile and "blow up a big building."

This judge should be impeached and removed from office.

[Careful]

All of the evidence in this case is circumstantial. It doesn't 'prove' his intent. Maybe a military tribunal would convict this guy with this kind of evidence. Or course, that means they would also convict 'domestic terrorists' with the same kind of circumstantial evidence. "So, you admit that you are a member of the same gun club as a member of your state militia? And you admit to having one of those 'assault type weapons'? And you're enrolled in a 'self-defense' class! Didn't the officers searching your home find copies of Shotgun News and National Review, as well as a cookie for FreeRepublic on your computer? Your (military tribunal) honor, while we cannot show any specific intent, clearly the defendant has all of associations and training materials of a terrorist...."

[grammymoon]

HON. Charles P. Sifton
718-260-2631
718-260-2300
718-260-2306

[CWRWinger]

It's time to throw that judge out.

[a_witness]

jurors won't know about the homemade pilot's uniform and posters of plane cockpits Wael Kishk carried on a flight to Kennedy Airport on Sept. 19,

I think the jurors have a right and duty to know what he carried on a flight one week after an attack on the United States of America. Of course I also think that Islamic terrorists are actively trying to murder millions of our citizens and those of our allies. Fancy that ...

I suppose we have alot more domestic supporters of terrorists than I'd hoped.

[a_witness]

Kishk, 21, could face five years in prison if convicted of fashioning phony pilot papers - including a forged pilot's medical certificate and bogus flight school documents - that he carried in his luggage on a flight from Cairo, and then lying about his reason for coming to the United States.

Why in the world are you defending an Islamic terrorist trying to murder Americans ? You should look yourself in the mirror and ask that question.

[a_witness]

It's time to throw that judge out.

Or bring him up on charges of aiding and abetting the enemy.

[Kevin Curry]

All of the evidence in this case is circumstantial. It doesn't 'prove' his intent.

You've been watching too many Perry Mason episodes. There is nothing inherently wrong with circumstantial evidence. It is sometimes better than direct evidence---including confessions. And it certainly can prove intent, for inferences of intent can be and often are drawn from circumstantial evidence. Hundreds of thousands--perhaps millions--of criminals have been convicted on the strength of circumstantial evidence used to prove specific intent.

And military juries use the same rules of evidence as civilian federal juries. The big difference is, military juries comprise mostly men and women who hold at least bachelors degrees--often in technical fields--who are trained to use their minds, not their emotions, to evaluate circumstances and evidence, and who will follow the rules given to them by a judge precisely and fully.

What about urban civilian juries? The People of California versus Orenthal James Simpson.

I rest my case.

[Hacksaw]

Brooklyn federal Judge Charles Sifton barred the evidence, saying it could put jurors "on a road of speculation" that Kishk was going to turn a plane into a missile and "blow up a big building."

What a bizarre decision. I think it is high time to start a listing of the worst federal judges in the US. Friedman will be on it.

[sidegunner]

Truth and facts have no place in a court of LAW??? Who appointed this "alleged" judge?

[t-shirt]

There was nothing phoney about the evidence.

This clown was ready to commit some terror and now he may get off completely.

[Travis McGee]

Just a coincidence, like the ground to air radio tranceiver the other Egyptian had in the room with view of the twin towers.

[Revolting cat!]

What the fok is wrong with the World's Greatest Legal System? They must be scratching their heads in 200+ other countries! Every time you turn around some too-clever-by- half-judge throws criminal evidence out. Every crime is to be treated like some isolated cosmic event! Sheesh!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up!

[Kevin Curry]

The administration's proposal for these secret "military tribunals" amounts to an assault on the judiciary branch and a move toward one-branch rule, without the constitutional checks and balances

Pure, pungent horse hockey, Chicken Little.