"Shoe Bomber Gets Life In Prison"

To prosecutors, Richard Reid is a terrorist who shows no remorse for trying to blow up a jetliner with 197 people aboard. Defense lawyers contend he is a troubled man who was trying to defend his religion.

The arguments were expected to play out on Thursday at the sentencing of Reid, who admitted attempting to blow up the Miami-bound American Airlines jet by using explosives packed inside his shoes.

U.S. District Judge William Young was expected to determine Reid's sentence and rule on a motion filed Wednesday by defense lawyers asking the judge to postpone sentencing on seven of the eight charges until Reid is given access to classified information they say could help him.

In the meantime, Reid's lawyers have asked that he receive the mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years on the charge of using a destructive device during a crime of violence. The other counts include attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

"Here, delaying sentence on the remaining counts serves the important interests of informing the defendant of evidence favorable to him and of preserving public confidence in the fairness of judicial proceedings," his lawyers said in their motion.

When Reid pleaded guilty in October, he said he was a member of al-Qaida and pledged his support to Osama bin Laden (news - web sites). He also declared himself an enemy of the United States.

Reid was overpowered by passengers and crew members after they saw him attempting to light a fuse protruding from one of his shoes on Dec. 22, 2001. The flight was diverted to Boston. Prosecutors said the explosives could have destroyed the jet.

At Thursday's sentencing hearing, both Reid and people who were on board the plane were expected to be allowed to testify. Five people have asked to be allowed to describe the impact of Reid's actions on them.

Young earlier had turned down Reid's request to declassify certain unspecified documents in the case after prosecutors expressed concern he might somehow use the information to send coded messages to other terrorists.

Neither prosecutors nor Reid's lawyers would reveal details about the classified documents. But defense attorney Owen Walker has argued the documents could help explain Reid's motivation and give his family some peace of mind.

Walker asked that Reid be allowed to present the documents publicly at his sentencing hearing.

"The world hears the bad information ... but they don't hear the other side," Walker said.

During a separate discussion in a hearing last week, Walker said Reid, who converted to Islam about eight years ago, "is convinced that (the United States), by sanctions on Iraq, has killed two million children in Iraq."

Update from AP

By DENISE LAVOIE
AP Legal Affairs Writer

January 30, 2003, 2:39 PM EST

BOSTON -- A flight attendant told a federal judge Thursday that an al-Qaida sympathizer who feverishly tried to blow up a trans-Atlantic plane with explosives hidden in his shoes was on a "mission of evil." She asked that the man be sentenced to life in prison.

"I believe that Richard Reid was on a mission of evil, a mission of destruction and a mission of murder," flight attendant Carole Nelson testified in U.S. District Court in Boston. "Richard Reid put all of us on this flight under great stress and trauma."

Nelson was among several crewmembers expected to testify at a sentencing hearing that got under way Thursday afternoon for Richard Reid, a self-proclaimed follower of Osama bin Laden who faces up to life in prison for trying to blow up an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami a little over a year ago.

Reid, a 29-year-old British citizen, was overpowered by passengers and crew members after he attempted to light a fuse protruding from one of his ankle-high hiking shoes. Authorities later said Reid's shoes contained enough plastic explosives to blow a hole in the plane's fuselage and kill everyone on board.

U.S. District Court Judge William Young was also expected to hear arguments from Reid's lawyers and prosecutors. Prosecutors have asked that Reid be sentenced to life in prison, plus 30 years.

Reid's lawyers say his actions were motivated by his desire to defend Islam, a religion he credits with saving him from a life of crime and drugs. They've asked that he receive the mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years on the charge of using a destructive device during a crime of violence.

Late Wednesday, Reid's lawyers asked the judge to postpone his sentencing on all but one of eight charges against him. Reid's lawyers say he should not be sentenced on seven charges, which include attempted murder and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, until classified information in the case is declassified. They said the information contains information that could help Reid at sentencing.

Prosecutors filed their objection to that request early Thursday, saying the information is peripheral to Reid's case. They also said the passengers and crew members aboard the flight were traumatized by Reid's actions and should not have to wait to find out what Reid's sentence will be.

The judge did not immediately rule on the request.

When he pleaded guilty to all eight charges in October, Reid said he was a member of the terrorist group al-Qaida, pledged his support to Osama bin Laden and declared himself an enemy of the United States.

The judge has already turned down one request from Reid to declassify documents in his case.

Prosecutors argued during a hearing last week that the documents should not be released because they believe Reid could use the information to send a message to other members of al-Qaida, which is known to communicate in code.

Reid's lead attorney, Owen Walker, argued then that the documents, if made public at his sentencing hearing, could help explain Reid's motivation for his actions and give Reid's family some peace of mind.

"The world hears the bad information ... but they don't hear the other side," Walker said.

But Young, who has seen the classified documents, said he found no compelling reason to allow Reid to disseminate the information publicly.

Neither prosecutors nor Reid's lawyers would reveal details about the classified documents.

Security was tight for Reid's sentencing. Armed police were stationed outside the courthouse, while three police boats patrolled around the courthouse on Boston Harbor. Bomb-sniffing dogs were used by agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

* __

Editor's Note: Denise Lavoie is a Boston-based reporter covering the courts and legal issues.

This story irritated me a bit. I mean, look at the headline:

"Shoe Bomb Suspect Sentencing Hearing Set"

First off, he's not a suspect. He was found GUILTY. "Shoe Bomber Dipstick" is more appropriate.

The fact that criminals get to have weeks and months between the trial's verdict
and the sentencing is outlandish. Give me the good ol' days where a jury would
announce the verdict and then the judge either stated "You're free to go" or
"Sheriff, there's a tree outside. We'll meet you there with a length of rope."

Now they get hearings and postponements and psychological evaluations
and (I swear someday we'll see this) Environmental Impact Statements.

/rant

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