A new lawyer for former USF professor Sami Al-Arian has filed a notice of appeal in his terrorism case. The lawyer, Peter Erlinder of the Wm. Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul, Minn., declined to discuss the grounds for the appeal of Judge James S. Moody’s final judgment. In a telephone interview this afternoon, Erlinder said, “At the moment I have to just say no comment. Sami is being held in a situtation where his lawyers are not able to communicate with him.”

Erlinder has known Al-Arian since 1997, when the two co-founded the National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom .

Also today, lawyers for the Tampa Tribune filed a motion to force the court to unseal five documents filed in the case in the past two days. The Trib argues that the court has not heard any reasons for the secrecy, and without such reasons, the documents should be open.

While Al-Arian's case is over with his plea agreement and sentencing, the retrial of "co-conspirator" Hatem Fariz remains an open book.

This article appears in May 10-16, 2006.