Jurors will begin deliberating Wednesday in the case of a University of Idaho graduate student accused of supporting terrorists.
The jury heard nearly five hour of closing arguments Tuesday, summarizing seven weeks of testimony.
The prosecution hammered on the radical content of Internet sites linked to Sami Omar Al-Hussayen. The University of Idaho graduate student is accused of using his online talents to foster terrorism.
Al-Hussayen's defense team has maintained throughout that his association with the Web sites of the Islamic Assembly of North America was as a Muslim volunteer, NOT a terrorist supporter.
A federal prosecutor hammered on the radical content of Web sites linked to a University of Idaho graduate student today to convince jurors that Sami Omar Al-Hussayen used his online skills to foster terrorism.
Kim Lindquist told jurors in his final argument that there was no other reason to put the material on the Internet than to help finance and recruit terrorists.
The defense claims Al-Hussayen had no such intentions and that the material is protected under the First Amendment.
U-S District Judge Edward Lodge told jurors the constitution protects speech even if it advocates violence unless it's intended to result in imminent lawless action.
The jury is expected to begin deliberations late today after seven weeks of testimony.
A federal judge says the Constitution protects speech even if it advocates violence.
U-S District Judge Edward Lodge gave the instruction to jurors today in the trial of accused terrorism supporter Sami Omar Al-Hussayen. The University of Idaho student is accused of using his computer skills to help promote and finance terrorism.
Defense attorney David Nevin and federal prosecutor Kim Lindquist each have about two and a half hours to offer their closing arguments before the case is handed over to the jury.
Nevin maintains that Al-Hussayen merely volunteered his skills to keep a Web site running for the Islamic Assembly of North America. And that Al-Hussayen was not involved with anything posted on the site.
But Lindquist contends that the charges against Al-Hussayen are an attempt to end a conspiracy that encouraged violence against Israel, the United States and other nations in the name of Islam.