Lawyer Vows To Fight Terror Conviction

(CBS/AP)  A civil rights lawyer convicted of helping a jailed terrorist sheik communicate with his disciples was sentenced to just over two years in prison Monday, winning extraordinary leniency from a judge who took into account her career of standing up for the most unpopular clients.

Lynne Stewart, 67, had faced up to 30 years in prison, but was sentenced to just two years and four months in a case that the federal government once hailed as a major victory against terrorism.

Stewart smiled through tears as the judge announced the sentence. Later, she hugged family and supporters and was handed two bouquets of red roses as she walked out of the courthouse.

"This is a great victory against an overreaching government," Stewart told dozens of supporters outside the lower Manhattan courthouse after U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl imposed the two-year, four-month sentence.

Some think U.S. District Judge John G. Koeltl cut Stewart a break. CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen partially attributed the judge's decision to "her age, her health, her expression of remorse and regret, and her long history of dedicated work as a defense attorney, which has to have counted for something.

"But she's lucky to get such a short sentence and she knows it," said Cohen.

Stewart is the only U.S. lawyer to have been indicted on terrorism charges.

The judge rejected demands by the government that Stewart be sentenced to 30 years in prison for convictions of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorist organizations, making false statements and defrauding the government.

The sentence came after a year in which Stewart was treated for breast cancer and diabetes, conditions the judge said would make it difficult for Stewart in prison.

The judge permitted her to remain free pending appeal, though he said there was ample evidence she had smuggled messages between her client, Sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, and senior members of an Egyptian-based terrorist organization - messages he said could have had "potentially lethal consequences."

CBS News Investigative Unit producer Phil Hirschkorn notes that prior to distributing Rahman's message, Stewart had agreed in writing to abide by special prison rules muzzling Rahman to the outside world and promised not to reveal their discussions.

There was little dispute that she broke the rules, says Hirschkorn, but Stewart considered them unconstitutional. Stewart was found guilty of all five counts, including conspiracy to defraud the U.S., providing and concealing material support for a terrorist group, and making false statements.

At the sentencing Monday, the judge noted that no one was harmed as a result of Stewart's actions.

Rahman, 68, who has diabetes and heart problems, is incarcerated at the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia said he is disappointed by Stewart's sentence, along with a one-year, eight-month prison term given to Mohamed Yousry, an Arabic interpreter, and a 24-year sentence imposed on Ahmed Abdel Sattar, a U.S. postal worker. He said prosecutors will consider an appeal of Stewart's sentence.

Prosecutors argued Sattar should be imprisoned for life and Yousry for 20 years in prison for their roles in helping Abdel-Rahman communicate, despite special measures imposed to cut him off from the world as he served his life sentence for terrorism.

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[janemcgreeve]

The only brownshirted fascists here are you, radiob, grumpy old f___., and the rest of you sorry Dem sh_tkickers who obviously miss your uncle Adolf.

Sorry, Dem Neo-Fascists, Adolf is dead, and so is your beloved Arafat - if he isn't your beloved Arafat he is certainly Howdy Doody Peanut boy's - heck, the coward and bigot is publishing a pro-Hamas, hate-Israel tome. But you Dems certainly are not going to blast weee Jimmmmeeeee, are you?

Sorry, but no lobotomy, radiob. But you certainly could use a hysterectomy. Save one for Grumpy and maybe GOP sux too - it might provide her with a brain.

[radiob-2009]

to JaneMcGreeve here are your comments Thanks. Got your post. All is ok. And you too, fellow Jane.

The Democratics are 24 karat dung hypocrites and cowards. That is all they stand for - and until some with guts will take control of that party and get rid of the McGovernite-Carterite-Clinton-Kerry-Dean

-KKK Byrd scum, the ones who defend pedophiles and perverts; the ones who scream sexual harassment unless it is Slick Willie; the ones who could have done something about 9/11 except they were too busy sucking off Yasser Arafat; the ones who say ILLEGALS are ok - then that is all they will ever be.

Not to mention being consummate Liars too. Posted by JaneMcGreeve at 01:07 AM : Oct 15, 2006
These Nazis pissed on the Bill of Rights a long time ago. They remind me of the Stalinists clucking back in 1940 when the government jailed a number of Trotskyites under the Smith Act.

Little did the Stalin lovers know, but in their heckling of ol' Leon's boys, their number too, would soon be called up, especially in the CPUSA trials of 1949.

Someone needs to tell the ACLU slimebags this. Stop defending Islamohitlerites, or pay the piperHey Gopsux,

Yeah, I noticed that YOU DO LOVE Republicans.

Just stay away from Brenda, oops, Barney Frank, Hanoi John Ferret Face Kerry, or the drunken girl killer from Chappaquidick. No real men in the Dems, that's for sure. Posted by JaneMcGreeve at 11:06 PM : Oct 16, 2006
It is time for your final lobotomy.

[tibu987]

Puh-Leez. This dingbat has had her 15 minutes of fame and she does even deserve that. Here is an old lady that did something really stupid but gained attention for it. Put her in jail, throw away the key and let's move on.

[radiob-2009]

To grumpas you are absolutely correct,McGreeve has a limited vocabulary due to the lobotomy that was perform on her by Dr. Bush.We try to keep her sedated but the thorazine is no longer working.Currently we are considering sending her to Anbar province for another lobotomy.Of course then we will have to keep her on life support for the remainder of her life.

[grumpas]

I see the fascist's nut cases are out in force with this one! With Jane McGreeve as leader of the pack of Storm Trooper Brown Shirts! Of coarse she doesn't rail against Bush she is no better than he is. Just because he has torn the Constitution into pieces and flushed it down the tolit! After all it's just a damned piece of paper he says! That's no reason to get on his case! Now we have torture and indefinate imprisonment for those who defy King George! A government who thinks we are all terrorist's! If Jane had one ounce of love and respect for her country she was be railing too! But, I notice she isn't! She is all for those Worker Democracies seem to be more up her alley than they are anyone else's. She is the one who is supporting fascism! Why does she think we are fighting so hard to wrestle our country out of the grips of people like her?

[Geneius]

Let's not forget those republican icons like Nixon and Lott just to mention two.

[janemcgreeve]

By the way, I am so glad that the Dem and Neo-Fascist roaches are coming out of the woodwork. All they can do is blast Bush. They never offer any solutions, not even something viable to destroy Islamonazism - except maybe "Cut and Run" or a guilt trip about the poor little rag boys who hate America because we gave them McDonalds, Starbucks and Jeans. Which of course they love. Remember that is what Atta was wearing as he walked through the airport gate.

The subject here is a traitor by the name of Lynn Stewart. She chose not just to defend the Islamohitlerite scum, she enthusiastically became a messenger girl and a cheerleader for them. They killed us - she loves them. If the mental midgets like radiob and mh4, the bitters like bluestar, and clueless bims like gopsux can't get away from their hate Bush-GOP fest for one or two minutes, then I truly feel for them.

Of course anyone who loves a party that gave us the Clintons, Teddy, KKK Byrd, Howie Screaming Dean, Kerry would love someone like a Lynn Stewart. That kind of Hate American spew is right up their alley.

[janemcgreeve]

When is mh4cbs going to jail for his blatant support of fascism?

if you're a democrat, mh, i can also think of supporting a party of perversion, of lies, of cowardice - think Jimmy Carter wringing his hands over the seizing of the U.S. Embassy and the creation of an America-hating Iran, or Clinton's wonderful handling of Bin Laden - NOT -of bigotry, (Robert KKK Byrd, Jesse Jackson, Cindy McKinney), and just plain being crooks and liars.

Both Clintons are the ones who should be in jail instead of going to Million dollar Malibu parties. They've sucked millions out of this country, and gave back nothing in return - except a disgraced Presidency, the bombing of innocent Serbs, and one bimbo by the name of Lewinsky.

Hey Hillary, I've got two words for you. Lorena Bobbitt.

[janemcgreeve]

bluestardad,

nothing wrong with dissent. In fact Robert E. Lee did what you're doing - he joined the Confederacy.

It's nice living in a United States where you can rant your Lefty gibberish - and yes, while I respect your service, I do not appreciate your negative comments about this administration that CHOSE to fight back against terrorism. Something the previous administration that you seem to love did virtually nothing about.

If you really think that things are so bad, then please, there are some Worker's Democracies where you can be an idealistic exile - North Korea, Syria, Iran come to mind. Of course if you really are against Osama it might be a bit uncomfortable living in one of these places where you just might bump into him.

[bluestardad]

Remember if you do not value your Constitutional Rights, Stay the Course and Vote Republican. If you disagree with this Administration they will put you in Jail indefinitely and torture you until you confess to stealing the Lindbergh baby.