Key witness in botched terrorism trial sentenced to 6 1/2 years News
Key witness in botched terrorism trial sentenced to 6 1/2 years

[JURIST] Youssef Hmimssa [Detroit News profile], a Moroccan man whose testimony was at the center of a terrorism trial that later unraveled, was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison on Thursday on charges of credit card fraud and visa misuse. Hmimssa was in the US illegally and has lived in five countries under as many as a dozen names. He received almost four years credit for time served and will likely be deported after his release. Previously, he was a key prosecution witness in the trial of four suspects on terrorism charges. Convictions resulting from the case were eventually overturned [JURIST report] after the Department of Justice admitted to "patterns of mistakes and oversights" [JURIST report] during the proceedings. AP has more. The Detroit News has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Pope Urban II sparks First Crusade

Pope Urban II threw his support behind what would become the First Crusade on November 27, 1095 during the Council of Clairmont. The Pope urged the council's participants to render aid to the Byzantine Empire, which was being attacked by the Seljuks. Pope Urban called for a wide coalition of rich and poor to combat the threat, which eventually resulted in the conquest of much of the Muslim-controlled Levant by the Crusaders and the establishment of the Crusader States. Read Pope Urban's address.  

Catholic Code of Canon Law revised

On November 27, 1983, the revised Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church went into effect. Learn more about the history of Canon Law from Professor Kenneth Pennington of the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law.

Alfred Nobel creates Nobel Prize in his will

On November 27, 1895, Alfred Nobel signed his will, creating the Nobel Prize. Learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize and the Nobel Commission.