Response to "O.J. Trials For Terrorists"
It is odd to see a lawyer arguing against justice, but that's exactly what Coulter does in this week's column. She focuses on the conviction of Lynne Stewart, a defense attorney convicted of helping her client, Omar Abdel-Rahman, send messages to terrorists in Egypt. Stewart was recently sentenced to 28 months rather than the 30 years sought by the prosecution.
In Coulter's mind, this is due entirely to the fact that the presiding judge, John G. Koeltl, was appointed by Coulter’s life-long nemesis, Bill Clinton.
At Stewart's sentencing, the judge noted that the defendant's actions had not resulted in any deaths. I'll have to remember that in case I'm ever on trial for attempted murder…
In rejecting a 30-year sentence in favor of a 28-month sentence, the judge commended Stewart for her "public service, not only to her clients, but to the nation" for representing members of the Black Panthers and the Weather Underground. In a sane world, that would have justified a longer sentence, not a shorter one.
There, Coulter is deliberately misleading her readers. Judge Koeltl did not praise Stewart specifically for representing defendants like the Black Panthers, but rather for a lifetime of public service defending "the poor, the disadvantaged and the unpopular." As a government-appointed lawyer, she made little money (unlike lawyers that become millionaires writing newspaper columns, books, and appearing on FOX News) and, according to an October 17 New York Times article, Stewart "helped [Matias Reyes] confess that he was the true attacker in the infamous Central Park jogger case, after others had been wrongfully convicted."
Rather than give her a slap on the wrist, Judge Koeltl's decision strongly condemns her actions. That same Times article continues:
The judge acknowledged that Ms. Stewart’s crimes were "serious, involved dishonesty and breach of trust," and led to "potentially lethal consequences"
… The judge pointed out that Ms. Stewart would lose her license to practice law as a result of her conviction and sentence, which he said was a form of punishment, and that she is barred from having any contact with Mr. Abdel Rahman. He said the chance that her crimes would recur was "nil," and noted there had been no evidence that anyone was harmed as a result of her actions.
He also mentioned that there was a "statistically significant" chance that Ms. Stewart’s breast cancer would recur.
Coulter claims this ruling shows that Democrats as a whole are not willing or able to fight terrorists. Coulter is participating in what is simply rank partisanship; she seems unable to conceive that anyone other than a rank-and-file Republican can defend America against terrorism. She goes so far as to say:
But Democrats think military tribunals aren't good enough for the terrorists plotting to kill Americans today. Liberals are going to make the terrorists love us! What better way to start than with criminal trials in front of judges like John Koeltl?
Yet, one thing that Coulter conveniently does not mention is that one of Stewart's co-defendants, Ahmed Abdel Sattar, received a sentence of 24 years in prison for his action in this case. That is hardly a slap on the wrist.
Sources:
- "Lynne Stewart." Wikipedia. Retrieved October 22, 2006.
- "Lawyer, Facing 30 Years, Gets 28 Months, to Dismay of U.S." New York Times. October 17, 2006.