From the Sun-Sentinel:
In a significant departure from federal sentencing guidelines and prosecutors wishes, Jose Padilla, the man government officials once accused of plotting to detonate a radioactive “dirty” bomb on U.S. soil, will spend 17 years and 4 months in a maximum security prison for his role in a South Florida terror support cell, a Miami federal judge ruled Tuesday.
Padilla’s recruiter Adham Hassoun was given 15 years and 8 months and co-defendant Kifah Jayyousi received 12 years, 8 months. The three men faced possible life sentences.
U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke announced her decisions after taking the long weekend to consider legal arguments and emotional testimony from friends and relatives of the men.
Referring to Padilla, the judge said: “He was held in hard conditions. The government argued that I could not take that into consideration I disagree.”
