MIAMI, May 3 (UPI) -- Attorneys for a former University of South Florida computer professor charged with financing terrorism want his trial moved out of Florida. In a federal court motion, attorneys for Sami al-Arian said there is "serious bias and prejudice" among potential jurors and "the pressure to convict him in this community would be tremendous," the St. Petersburg Times reported Tuesday. U.S. District Judge James Moody gave no indication when he would rule or whether there would be a hearing. Trial is set for May 16.
The defense attorneys said in addition to the news coverage, al-Arian was a centerpiece of the campaign between Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., and unsuccessful Democratic candidate Betty Castor, a former president of the university. Martinez, who defeated Castor, accused her of being too soft on al-Arian when she headed the university.
The motion said 328 prospective jurors have filled out questionnaires in the case and 155 of them have already been dismissed for the way they felt about the case. Another survey showed 95 percent of the people in Tampa knew about al-Arian. In Tallahassee it was 75 percent and in Miami it was 60 percent. In Atlanta it was only 33 percent. | How about New York City? I'm sure the jurors in lower Manhatten haven't heard about him. |
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