U.S. judge approves release of Florida nightclub shooter's widow

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U.S. judge approves release of Florida nightclub shooter's widow

By Lisa Fernandez

REUTERS

 

FILE PHOTO -- Investigators work the scene following a mass shooting at the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando Florida, U.S. June 12, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri/File Photo

 

OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - A judge cleared the way on Wednesday for the widow of the gunman who killed 49 people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, to be released from jail and also appeared to throw doubt on the strength of the government's case against her.

 

Noor Salman, 30, was arrested in California in January on federal charges she knew before the June 2016 shootings that her husband, Omar Mateen, was planning the attack and concocted a cover story for him.

 

Prosecutors want Salman to remain jailed before her trial in Florida. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu said in an Oakland courtroom that the government had not shown Salman was a danger to the community or a serious flight risk.

 

"I find the weight of the government evidence as debatable," Ryu added.

 

Commenting on the prosecutor's charges against Salman, the judge said: "All the government assertions are hotly debated."

 

Salman is charged with obstructing justice and aiding Mateen in his attempt to provide material support to a terrorist organization.

 

Mateen was killed in a shootout with police after he took hostages during a three-hour standoff at the Pulse nightclub and carried out the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

 

One of Salman's lawyers, Linda Moreno, said the approved release "doesn't usually happen in a so-called terrorism case."

 

Ryu gave prosecutors in Florida 48 hours to challenge her ruling, meaning Salman could not walk free from jail until Friday at the earliest.

 

William Daniels, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District of Florida, said by telephone that prosecutors would file a motion by Friday with a judge in Orlando challenging Salman's release.

 

Ryu likened Salman's release to house arrest, ordering her to live with her uncle in Rodeo, California, and saying she could leave home only for court and medical appointments. Her conditional release will be secured with a $500,000 bond.

 

Salman's 4-year-old son with Mateen, who is living with her mother, will be allowed to visit.

 

Salman, dressed in a red jail uniform, bit her nails during the hearing and looked at the dozen relatives who came in support.

 

Outside the courtroom, her uncle, Abdallah "Al" Salman, with whom she will live, again declared his niece innocent.

 

"She does not read between the lines," he said, reiterating that she has learning disabilities and did not have the capacity to aid in the massacre.

 

(Reporting by Lisa Fernandez; Writing by Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Peter Cooney and Grant McCool)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters Full story:

[hdkane]

As a psychologist whose speciality was intelligence and learning...I can absolutely attest that the learning disability defense is BS...funny that her LD didn't fail her when she attempted to avoid arrest or gain her freedom...only when it meant that she had to take action to save some lives...she simply lived as most people do in the USA and Thailand...they "don't want to get involved"...even if it means innocent lives can be saved. Selfish.

[richusa]

Let Trump take the course of action on these people. The United States will NOT END UP LIKE ..england, germany, sweden, denmark, spain & france...can bet on that.

 

Then here you have the euro-trash people saying that America is messed up...

[ilostmypassword]

30 minutes ago, richusa said:

Let Trump take the course of action on these people. The United States will NOT END UP LIKE ..england, germany, sweden, denmark, spain & france...can bet on that.

 

Then here you have the euro-trash people saying that America is messed up...

Good point about the euro-trash.  I mean, if there were many Americans who disapproved of Donald Trump your point wouldn't be valid but since that's absolutely not the case, keep up the good work.

Except that of course it isn't the case. 

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html