Mistrial in Florida Liberty City Seven Terror Trial
April 16, 2008
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A US federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in case of six Florida men charged with plotting to blow up buildings with help from the Al-Qaeda terror network.
Prosecutors had asked for stiff prison sentences for the defendants known as the “Liberty City Seven” — named after the poor, predominantly African-American Miami neighborhood where they live — who were arrested in June 2006.
The group’s first trial ended in December 2007 in a hung jury. At that time one of the accused was released.
Alicia Valle, a spokeswoman at US attorney’s office in Miami, said Wednesday that prosecutors will announce their next legal move on April 23.
Federal Judge Joan Leonard ruled that, after two weeks of deliberations, enough time had gone by for the jury to reach a verdict. Since no decision was taken, she ruled a mistrial.
The six men had been accused of conspiring to provide assistance to Al-Qaeda, to carry out acts of terror and to bring down the US government. They allegedly planned to blow up the 108-story Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI offices in Miami, and shoot any survivors.
Prosecutors admitted the terrorist plot was in its infancy, but insisted that the group, and especially its leader, Narseal Batiste, were serious about the attacks.
The 12 jurors were shown secretly-taped video footage of the defendants pledging an oath to Al-Qaeda in the presence of an undercover FBI informant posing as a member of the terrorist network.
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