Acquitted terror defendant can't speak publicly about trial

By The Associated Press
01.29.08
MIAMI — A man facing deportation to Haiti despite his acquittal on terrorism conspiracy charges can speak publicly about his immigration situation but not about the underlying criminal case, a federal judge ruled yesterday.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard said that Lyglenson Lemorin, 33, is likely to be a defense witness in the retrial of six remaining members of the so-called “Liberty City Seven” and that she wants to prevent publicity about the first case from influencing potential jurors this time.
Jury selection for the retrial began last week. Prosecutors decided to try the remaining six a second time after jurors in the first case could not agree on their guilt or innocence.
“The court has a duty to make sure that the defendants are tried by a fair and impartial jury,” Lenard said at a hearing.
Lemorin’s attorneys say he is seeking to publicize what he considers an injustice: that is, to be found not guilty by a jury of plotting to destroy Chicago’s Sears Tower and bomb FBI offices and yet be put into deportation proceedings based on the same allegations.
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