Ruling: Reid Confession Not Coerced

The man charged with trying to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with a bomb in his shoe was not coerced or under the influence of a sedative when he confessed to investigators, a federal judge ruled Friday.

U.S. District Judge William Young ruled the drugs administered on the Paris-to-Miami flight to Richard Reid to subdue him did not affect Reid's state of mind when he made spoke to law enforcement after his arrest.

Reid, 28, a British citizen who authorities allege was trained in Afghanistan by the al Qaeda terrorist group, is accused of trying to blow up American Airlines Flight 63 during its trip from Paris to Miami on Dec. 22. He has pleaded innocent to eight charges, including attempted murder of the 197 passengers and crew members.

Reid was overpowered by passengers and crew after he allegedly tried to light a fuse protruding from his shoe. Authorities said his shoes contained plastic explosives powerful enough to blow a hole in the plane's fuselage.

Reid's defense has been trying to have the statements he made to investigators, including a confession, ruled inadmissible. They say he was suffering amnesia as a side-effect of Valium and other drugs passengers and crew injected into him and did not knowingly wave his rights to speak to an attorney or remain silent.

Authorities have not released details, but have said in court papers that he confessed during the interviews.

Young did not immediately rule on the ultimate question of whether the statements and confession would be admissible

During the hearing on the statements, which has spanned parts of four days, an emergency medical technician testified that Reid had slurred speech and appeared sluggish as he was questioned by the FBI. Steven Solletti said Reid's blood pressure was elevated and he appeared sleepy.

"His words, they appeared to be slurred, sluggish, kind of like he was intoxicated," Solletti said.

But two prosecution witnesses testified earlier that Reid did not appear to be affected by sedatives during questioning, which occurred about eight hours after he was injected.

Reid faces eight counts, including a charge of attempting to murder the 197 passengers and crew members on the jet.

Reid's trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 4.