Earlier this week, a furor broke out in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas when a mistrial was declared in U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development , a controversial case involving a Muslim charity charged with funneling millions of dollars to HAMAS , a terrorist organization based in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
On the heels of months of testimony detailing nefarious dealings, some of which was given by Israeli agents using pseudonyms, and which included videotapes dug up from a Virginia backyard, the jurors reached a decision on Thursday of last week. Presiding Federal Judge, A. Joe Fish , was out of town, and the decision was sealed until Monday.
When Judge Fish announced that three out of five of the co-defendants had been acquitted, some of the jurors disputed the decision and the jury was polled. Three of the twelve said the verdicts had been read incorrectly.
After further deliberation, eleven of the twelve jurors believed that they could not reach a unanimous decision and a mistrial was declared. It is unknown how the confusion surrounding the verdicts arose, but the Judge noted that the information given the jurors looked "like a phone book for a small city."
While the purpose of the Holy Land Foundation was, ostensibly, to assist needy individuals in the West Bank and Gaza. The indictment alleged more sinister activities, including direct contributions to HAMAS -controlled organizations and fundraisers in the United States featuring dramatic skits depicting the killing of Jews. [1]
Was this case a form of impermissible profiling or were a bunch of alleged terrorists just set free?
We're at a loss to figure this one out.
To download a copy of the indictment, please use this link: U.S. v. Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development
[1] Executive Order 12947 and the Terrorism Sanctions Regulations prohibit, among other things, "providing funds, goods or services to a Specially Designated Terrorist." In 1995, HAMAS was identified and listed as a "Specially Designated Terrorist" by President William Jefferson Clinton.