Padilla plea hearing postponed News
Padilla plea hearing postponed

[JURIST] A federal judge in Miami Friday postponed until next week a scheduled plea and bail hearing for now-indicted "enemy combatant" Jose Padilla [JURIST news archive], a US citizen originally arrested in 2002 for allegedly plotting to detonate a "dirty bomb" but later charged with unrelated offenses. Magistrate Judge Barry Garber set a new hearing for January 12. Padilla's lawyers have said he will plead not guilty. On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court set the stage for the proceeding by ordering that Padilla be transfered from military to civilian custody [JURIST report], leading to his departure from the North Carolina military brig where he has been held for the last 3 and one-half years. AP has more.