“Jose Padilla, the Brooklyn-born convert to Islam whom the government once accused of plotting to detonate a ‘dirty bomb’ in the United States, was sentenced on Tuesday [January 22, 2008] to 17 years and 4 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to help Islamic jihadist fighters abroad. The sentence was more lenient than the federal sentencing guidelines recommended and was a setback for the government, which had requested life in prison, the maximum. In explaining her decision, Judge Marcia G. Cooke of Federal District Court in Miami underscored the gravity of the crimes Mr. Padilla, 37, had committed. But she questioned the effects of the conspiracy, saying there was no evidence linking Mr. Padilla and two co-defendants to specific terrorism acts anywhere. ‘There is no evidence that these defendants personally maimed, kidnapped or killed anyone in the United States or elsewhere,’ Judge Cooke said. ‘There was never a plot to overthrow the United States government.’ “
– Kirk Semple, “Padilla Gets 17-Year Term For Role in Conspiracy,” The New York Times, Jan. 23, 2008