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Judge Cooke Finds Padilla Competent to Stand Trial
Mar-1-07 12:24 am
Jose Padilla is escorted to a waiting police vechicle in Miami by federal marshals.
Jose Padilla   
Photo--J. Pat Carter, AP

The New York Times reports:
A federal judge found Jose Padilla competent to stand trial on terrorism conspiracy charges Wednesday, granting a significant victory to the government in the high-profile criminal case of a United States citizen who was initially designated an “enemy combatant” and held without charges.

After three and a half days of an intensely argued hearing, Judge Marcia G. Cooke of Federal District Court rejected the defense lawyers’ request that Mr. Padilla be sent to a hospital for psychiatric treatment so that he could be “healed” from what they said was post-traumatic stress disorder caused during his three years and eight months in military detention.

“This defendant clearly has the capacity to assist his attorneys,” Judge Cooke said, adding that Mr. Padilla’s case was “unique” and that “he understands that.”

Judge Cooke, who allowed limited testimony from brig officials during the competency hearing, said that her ruling should not be construed as a finding on Mr. Padilla’s claims of mistreatment during his detention and interrogations at a military brig in South Carolina.

“Those claims are for another day,” she said, referring to another pending motion by Mr. Padilla that the charges against him be dismissed because of “outrageous government conduct.”

The trial is scheduled to begin in mid-April.

Tags: terrorism detainee human rights

About the editor:

Anthony Clark Arend

Professor

Commentary and analysis at the intersection of international law and politics.

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