UK trial begins for accused July 21 London transit bombers News
UK trial begins for accused July 21 London transit bombers

[JURIST] The trial of six men charged with attempting to bomb a London subway and bus [JURIST report] on July 21, 2005 began Thursday, with the jury being sworn in to try the six men on charges including conspiracy to murder, possession of explosives, attempted murder, and conspiracy to cause explosions. No one was injured during the July 21 attempts, which occurred two weeks after the devastating July 7 London bombings [JURIST news archive] killed 56 people – including four suicide bombers – and injured some 700. Eleven other people have been charged with assisting the six accused terrorists, and will be tried later in the year during a separate trial. The trial was previously scheduled to begin [JURIST report] last September.

No charges have been brought in connection with the deadly July 7 subway bombings. AP has more. BBC News has local coverage.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Georgia became first US state to ban lynching

On December 20, 1893, Georgia became the first state in the Union to pass a law against lynching, making the act punishable by four years in prison. The statute was not particularly effective—read the text of the 1899 pamphlet Lynch Law in Georgia by anti-lynching activist Ida Wells-Barnett.