Al-Arian Trial Postponed After Judge Raises Doubts

The trial of a former Florida professor once accused of being a leading Palestinian terrorist has been postponed after a judge raised new doubts about the validity of the prosecution. Former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian had been scheduled to go on trial next week in Virginia for contempt after refusing to testify to a federal grand jury. But today, U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema overruled prosecutors' objections and postponed the trial indefinitely. In doing so, she questioned whether the government was overeager in filing charges and whether prosecutors had properly filled out the paperwork demanding Al-Arian's grand jury testimony. Prosecutors warned that Brinkema's ruling could have long-term implications in compelling people to comply with court... [read full story]