Tampa Tribune
Headline
: "No Guilty Verdicts in Al-Arian Trial."
Lead
: "Once billed as the major strike in the war on terrorism, the case against Sami Al-Arian crumbled Tuesday when jurors rejected federal charges that Al-Arian and three co-defendants operated a North American cell for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad."
No. of reporters covering story: Six reporters, two researchers
Scoops: Only a quote from Steve Emerson, the self-proclaimed terrorism expert whose work the Tribune has mirrored, and who unsuccessfully sued this newspaper over its Al-Arian coverage.
Online poll: Do You Agree With the Verdict? 51% No, 38% Yes, 10% Not Sure
Jurors quoted: 1
Editorial: "Ultimately, prosecutors could not connect the dots. But with his victory, Al-Arian should thank God that his trial occurred in the country he damned, where he had his day in court, and the system he cursed allowed for this verdict."
St. Petersburg Times
Headline
: "8 Times, Al-Arian Hears 'Not Guilty'"
Lead
: "The judge announced the verdicts, one by one, and Sami Al-Arian's eyes shifted to his family, then back to the bench to take in the words he had waited years to hear."
No. of reporters covering the story: 11 reporters, two researchers
Scoops: Brief jailhouse interview with Al-Arian; illuminating interviews with several jurors; direct access to Al-Arian family and their home during their wait for a verdict.
Online poll: Should Sami Al-Arian be re-tried on the remaining deadlocked charges? 56% Yes, 44% No
Jurors quoted: 4
Editorial: "As a legal resident, Al-Arian has abused this nation's hospitality and engaged in conduct that may warrant his deportation. The trial has laid bare Al-Arian's involvement in one of the most violent groups in the Middle East. He may now claim an acquittal, but he can never again claim moral innocence."
Other Voices
"Courtroom defeats for prosecutors don't come much more embarrassing than the one suffered Tuesday in the Florida terror trial of Sami Al-Arian…" —Eric Boehlert, Yahoo News
"Setback for U.S. in Terror Trial" —New York Times (1A)
"Florida Jury Refuses to Convict Ex-Professor in U.S. Terror Case" —The Wall Street Journal
"No Conviction in Al Arian Case" —Jerusalem Post
"Sami Al-Arian Acquitted of Terrorism Charges" —Muslim American Society MASNET news
"Ex-Professor Acquitted in Patriot Act Test Case" —Los Angeles Times
"Florida case deals blow to terror law" —Toronto Star
"Initial test of Patriot Act fails to produce one conviction" —The Guardian (London)
"Acquitting a Terrorist" —FrontPage Magazine (David Horowitz's conservative online publication)
"Islamic Jihad's 'North American Leader' Not Guilty In Florida" —All Headline News
"Celebrated terror prosecution fails" —International Herald Tribune
3 Major U.S. TV Networks: Not a peep
"But remember, the government lost a major trial against John Gotti. It didn't give up on the war against organized crime." —Steve Emerson on The O'Reilly Factor. His 1994 Jihad in America documentary first alleged Al-Arian's ties to terrorist organizations.
This article appears in Dec 14-20, 2005.