"Politics" was how Tampa computer science professor Sami Al- Arian summed up the motivation behind the phone book- sized indictment statement levelled against him by United States Attorney-General John Ashcroft." Has Ashcroft made Al-Arian "guilty until proven innocent?" His associates think so.

The five defendants in the Central Park Jogger Rape Case who were cleared after serving their sentences held a press conference to announce they will sue New York City seeking $50 million each as damages.

"At issue in the lawsuits will be whether the men were falsely accused or coerced into making confessions, said Michael Warren, who represents three of the cleared defendants."

For all of our prior coverage of the case in one place, go here.

Sometimes justice prevails after all. We reported recently on the brutality charges leveled against Ernesto Velasco, former head of the Cook County jail in Chicago and since appointed by new Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich to head up the state's Department of Corrections.

Velasco resigned Friday. During his tenure at the Cook County jail in 1999, "guards allegedly beat dozens of inmates following a gang-related stabbing and conspired to cover up the rampage."

Our detailed coverage is here and here.

"Actor Robert Blake posted $1.5 million bail and was released from jail Friday to await trial on charges of murdering his wife. "Give me a cigarette," Blake, 69, said to his defense investigator as he stepped out of the downtown jail. He took a drag before briefly commenting to a crush of reporters and photographers."

"I never thought I'd make 11 months in a cement box," he said....

Under a new law effective March 17, physicians in the Netherlands will be able to prescribe medical marijuana and pharmacies will dispense it to patients as they do other prescription medications. This will make the Netherlands the first country to treat marijuana in the same manner it treats other prescription drugs.

For more, visit the Marijuana Policy Project and NORML.

The Justice Department is considering a compromise in the Moussaoui case concerning defense access to Ramzi Binalshibh.

First, the comment at issue:

"The trio performed a live show in London on Monday (March 10th) night, and Natalie Maines (news) told the crowd, "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas."

The Dixie Chicks' Response:

"We've been overseas for several weeks and have been reading and following the news accounts of our government's position," the group explains. "The anti-American sentiment that has unfolded here is astounding. While we support our troops, there is nothing more frightening than the notion of going to war with Iraq and the prospect of all the innocent lives that will be lost." Maines also says, "I feel the President is ignoring the opinions of many in the U.S. and alienating the rest of the world. My comments were made in frustration and one of the privileges of being an American is you are free to voice your own point of view."

We're satisfied. In fact, we agree with them. Although we would point out that we don't think the European attitude is Anti-American as much as Anti-Bush and Rumsfeld.

Is That Legal has a long and informative post about prior Congressional attempts to subpoena federal Judge's sentencing records. Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee said it was considering subpoenaing such records for the Chief Judge from Minnesota, James Rosenbaum.

Rosenbaum's lawyer called the threat unprecedented, but Eric Muller says that's not so.

We won't have time to post until much later today, so if you have something you want to discuss or rant about, you can do it here.

A House Panel in Illinois has voted to approve a death penalty reform bill that incorporates 23 of the 85 reforms recommended by the Illinois Commision in 2002. We don't understand the House reluctance to ban executing the mentally retarded, but the measures it does include represent a significant step towards reform of the broken death penalty system in Illinois.

From Patriot Watch:

On March 11th, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights released a new report entitled “Imbalance of Powers.” The report outlines the steady erosion of human rights protections and civil liberties in the 18 months since the Sept. 11 attacks. One of the issues addressed in the report is the recent allegations in the news media that U.S. military officials are employing illegal interrogation techniques to elicit information from detainees in the U.S. and abroad. Some of these techniques include hooding and sleep deprivation and physical beatings. The Lawyers Committee has urged Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to address these allegations by making clear the unambiguous U.S. prohibition against all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment. Go here to take action.

Urge Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld to address these issues personally and publicly by making clear the unambiguous U.S. prohibition against all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.

[Ed. permalink to Patriot Org. didn't work so we changed the link to their homepage]

Atrios gets a blogging gig--way cool. We know he won't forget his roots though.