Civil Rights Lawyer Lynne Stewart Receives 10-Year Sentence By: Rebecca Spitz
A former civil rights lawyer convicted in a terrorism case in 2005 was resentenced Thursday to 10 years and one month behind bars.
Lynne Stewart, 70, was convicted of helping a terrorist communicate with his followers.
Her client, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman -- a blind Egyptian cleric -- plotted to blow up city landmarks.
Stewart was originally sentenced to 28 months, but a federal appeals court asked the judge to review the role of terrorism in her case and whether she lied when she testified at her trial.
"It was very disappointing, very difficult and very disappointing," said Stewart's attorney Jill Shellow.
The judge said Stewart showed "a lack of remorse for conduct that was both illegal and potentially lethal."
Stewart's family says they are outraged by the new sentence.
"We think that he totally caved to the second circuit and that he didn't take into account anything that he took into account the first time," said Stewart's daughter, Brenna Stewart.
"It's a death sentence that we do not accept. We are going to continue the struggle. We are going to broaden the struggle," said Stewart's husband, Ralph Pointer.
While addressing the judge Thursday, Stewart said, "I'm somewhat stunned, your honor, by the swift change in my outlook. We will continue to struggle on to do what we need to do to change this."
Stewart, a breast cancer survivor, will continue to receive treatment in prison.
Her family says it's weighing what its next steps will be.
Meanwhile, the judge has given Stewart the next 60 days at nearby Metropolitan Correctional Center so she can be a part of those discussions
