Word: lindh
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John Walker Lindh appeared in court last week at a brief proceeding called an identity hearing. It was an appropriate name, since deciding who he is will determine whether he should go to prison for the rest of his life. Maybe he is Abdul Hamid, a name he used when he was a Talib, allegedly one who conspired to kill Americans. Or maybe he's John Walker, a suburban '90s kid who lit out for distant territories both geographic and religious, seeking himself (and taking his mother's maiden name) after his parents' estrangement. In his most recent incarnation...
Most likely, he is some indistinct combination of all three. But lawyers often skate over such complexities, and last week the U.S. Department of Justice and Lindh's liberal San Francisco attorney, James Brosnahan, squared off with simpler stories. If the case against Lindh goes to a jury, as Brosnahan predicts, it will turn on which story seems more plausible...
...Brosnahan says Lindh knew he had a lawyer and so their initial meeting was not a complete surprise to his client. Says Brosnahan: "He knew because they had finally allowed a little information in there?It was good to talk to him finally. I think no one could really understand the amount of adverse publicity that has been poured on his head. I don't think he realized how much he was being attacked...
...Lindh was also reunited with his parents for the first time in two years this week. "He was pleased beyond words to see his parents," says Brosnahan. " I think he's glad to be home and he's glad to be in this country. He's a citizen of this country...
...clear that Brosnahan and his team plan to fight for Lindh in the court of public opinion as much as the courtroom. However, Brosnahan refuses to go into detail about exactly what sort of legal strategy he and his team will employ to defend Lindh in the case. "It would take all the fun out of it," he says...