CHICAGO (AP) — Three suspects appear in a Chicago court Tuesday to face terrorism-related charges for allegedly plotting to hurl Molotov cocktails at President Barack Obama’s campaign headquarters.
But it’ll be state, not federal attorneys handling their case.
Even as lawmakers in Illinois and at least 35 other states adopted ant-terrorism laws after Sept. 11, 2001, they agreed the anti-terrorist fight was best left to legions of U.S. government lawyers.
So the decision by Cook County State’s Attorney office to test Illinois’ law for the first time against activists arrested before last month’s NATO summit surprised many experts.
Former federal prosecutor Phil Turner says Illinois state prosecutors are entering “unchartered waters.” He says their lack of manpower and expertise compared with their federal counterparts raises doubts about their ability to secure terrorist convictions.
