On October 8, attorneys for James Ujaama--the Seattle man accused of supporting al Qaeda--asked the U.S. District Court to review and revoke its October 1 order that Ujaama remain in detention throughout his pending trial ["Sealed Deal," Josh Feit, Oct 10].
Ujaama's attorneys, Peter Offenbecher and Robert Mahler, have contended that the court is considering evidence the defense has not even seen--like testimony from unnamed witnesses and informants. Government prosecutors contest the notion that the sealed evidence played a role in the court's decision, saying that while they did submit sealed evidence, Judge John L. Weinberg told the court he would not weigh that evidence as part of the detention ruling.
It's hard to believe that the judge could actually excise the info from his brain while weighing the matter. The fact that the proceedings could go forward under what appears to be a nod and wink between the government attorneys and the court doesn't bode well for Ujaama.
