Whip Me, Beat Me, Make Me Render a Guilty Verdict

The Sami Al-Arian, et al trial is just getting more reminiscent of a medieval torture chamber every day.

Yesterday, we had the judge scolding the jury for not returning all 51 complete verdicts and scooching them back into the jury room for the 13th grueling day of deliberations.

And today, we have a juror feeling cowed and complaining about the "techniques" the other jurors are using on him.

"Being that I am in the minority, I feel I am being whipped to change
and I am not alone ... My nerves and my conscience are being whipped
into submission."

I think we can all use our imaginations in envisioning what's really going on in that jury room. But one thing is for certain -- I better get invited to the after-party!

UPDATE: Al-Arian was acquitted of 8 counts, and the jury was deadlocked on the remaining 9. Sameeh Hammoudeh and Ghassan Zayed Ballut were acquitted of all charges. And Hatem Naji Fariz, was acquitted of 24 counts and jurors deadlocked on the remaining eight.

His indictment in 2003 was hailed by then-Attorney General John
Ashcroft as one of the first triumphs of the Patriot Act, which was
enacted in the weeks after Sept. 11.

Yes, quite a triumph wasting all those tax dollars and five months out of many people's lives and imprisoning apparently innocent men for years.