Padilla

Even though I am not completely convinced by the governments evidence in this case - considering they have modified their accusations multiple times, dropped charges, stalled in providing defence council the evidence or flat out denied them access, certainly tortured this man and denied him his rights under the constitution until such time as they could no longer support their position and having finally been forced to bring him into the civilian courts against their will - he was at least tried in a court of law and given due process.

He has been found guilty and has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for 'conspiracy' which is a lot different from destroying Chicago with a self-built 'Dirty Bomb' as proclaimed by John Ashcroft at the time of Padillas arrest.

A lot of people may say f*** him, he was a bad boy before all of this, even the Times article refers to his nefarious background in the gangs of Chicago and his long criminal record despite the fact it had nothing to do with the governments case, but no citizen of this country deserves to be treated the way this man was, regardless of the alleged crime. We are a nation of laws whether we are at war or not and once we start bending and manipulating those laws, in an attempt at providing cheap propaganda victories, then, we are no better than the enemy who supposedly is intent on defeating our way of life.