JURIST - Paper Chase: BREAKING NEWS ~ Padilla pleads not guilty to terror charges

[JURIST] AP is reporting that Jose Padilla [JURIST news archive] has pleaded not guilty in federal district court to 11 charges, including conspiracy to murder US nationals and providing material support to terrorists. Padilla was detained over three years ago on suspicion of planning to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the US but was indicted [JURIST report] on the 11 unrelated counts in November. Prior to being charged, Padilla had appealed to the US Supreme Court [cert. petition, PDF; JURIST report], asking for a reversal of a Fourth Circuit ruling [opinion, PDF; JURIST report] that allowed Padilla's indefinite detention without charge. Department of Justice lawyers have requested the case be dismissed as moot [opposition brief, PDF; appendix, PDF], arguing that a ruling would have "no practical effect" on Padilla as his habeas appeal requested that he be charged with a crime, which was the "very relief" granted by virtue of the 11 unrelated charges. The Supreme Court has not yet decided whether to grant certiorari in the case.

11:29 PM ET - AP now has more.

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