Article

2020-02-04 Home Front: WoT

US Judge Refuses To Vacate Somali Pirate’s Sentence

[RADIOSHABELLE] A federal judge in Virginia has refused to vacate the life sentence handed down to a Somali man convicted in a 2010 attack on a U.S. Navy vessel off the coast of Africa.

A judge in Norfolk issued a ruling Friday rejecting Mohammed Abdi Jama’s claim that his sentence should be overturned because his lawyer was ineffective.

Jama was sentenced to life in prison in 2016 for piracy. He filed a motion last year claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. Jama claimed his lawyer failed to understand the laws and facts needed to prove piracy and failed to argue jurisdictional and other law regarding piracy offenses and territory.

He also argued that his lawyer failed to advise him of plea deals and failed to negotiate or explain any plea offers.

The judge said the court record provides no support for Jama’s claims and shows that his lawyer shared a plea offer by prosecutors of 25 years in prison. Jama’s lawyer said in an affidavit that his client refused to cooperate.

Jama claimed that he was never told about a 25-year plea offer and that his attorney advised him to reject a 30-year plea offer.

The judge noted that regardless of whether Jama’s lawyer told him about any plea offer, Jama testified that he was not willing to testify against any of his codefendants as part of a plea deal.

According to court records, Jama and his codefendants approached the USS Ashland in April 2010 in the Gulf of Aden

...in a skiff, which is a kind of a rowboat thingy...

and opened fire with AK-47s. Crew members of the Ashland returned fire

...with a 25mm machine gun, which set the skiff on fire, killing one of the crew...

and took the pirates into custody.

Posted by Fred 2020-02-04 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11139 views ] Top
File under: Pirates

#1 Crew members of the Ashland returned fire and took the pirates into custody.

Could've save a lot of tax dollars.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2020-02-04 02:38|| 2020-02-04 02:38|| Front Page Top

#2 Aren't there laws related to piracy on the high seas? Why oh why do we have to take these people into custody? Pop them in the head and feed the fish.

Posted by Fat Bob Javish1936 2020-02-04 07:49|| 2020-02-04 07:49|| Front Page Top

#3 But where is Omar? Surely she has something to say.

Posted by Woodrow 2020-02-04 08:32|| 2020-02-04 08:32|| Front Page Top

#4 But where is Omar?

Roger-ing her boytoy?
Spendhalf a mil, you call the tune

Posted by Lex 2020-02-04 08:35|| 2020-02-04 08:35|| Front Page Top

#5 A Somalian tourguide, his riff:
"A pirate once got in a tiff.
With the British he fought,
Then a pirate was not,
And he also invented the skiff.
Legend has it he was a talented blacksmith, too, who in later years could often be found banging away with his flamboyant band in yonder lounge. Yes, that tumbledown building right there. Dammit, boys, don't scare my horse... cover your eyes, ladies!"

Posted by Griger Barnsmell3985 2020-02-04 11:08|| 2020-02-04 11:08|| Front Page Top

#6 convicted in a 2010 attack on a U.S. Navy vessel off the coast of Africa.

Leftover Obama business.

Posted by trailing wife 2020-02-04 11:26|| 2020-02-04 11:26|| Front Page Top

#7 Crew members of the Ashland returned fire
...with a 25mm machine gun, which set the skiff on fire, killing one of the crew...
and took the pirates into custody.

I laffed at that. Is Rantburg making me a bad person?

Tut tut, lads. Enough of that brigandry. Come along now.

Posted by SteveS 2020-02-04 12:08|| 2020-02-04 12:08|| Front Page Top

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