Moussaoui verdict was the correct one

Re “America’s day in court,” editorial, May 4

Even though Zacarias Moussaoui’s tortured prosecution consumed years and ended inconclusively, his prosecution illustrates the value of trying suspected terrorists in federal civilian court. Criminal prosecutions in open court enable Americans and the world to see and understand that the U.S. honors the rule of law by extending the full panoply of constitutional rights to individuals charged with terrorism.

Civilian trials permit those accused to conduct a thorough defense against the ultimate sanction that the state can impose, and to be judged by a jury made up of community members. Federal court trials also markedly contrast with alternative venues, namely military tribunals, which are characterized by truncated procedures, few rights and secrecy.

CARL TOBIAS

Richmond, Va.

The writer is a professor of law at the University of Richmond.

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Thanks to the decision made by the Moussaoui jury, we have demonstrated that the United States is a nation of laws. The jury that justly sentenced this deranged man to life imprisonment has spared us from presenting a martyr to the Islamic world, a martyrdom that would have worsened our already precarious position in the Middle East. Capital punishment has never been a deterrent to murder. Why then should we continue to kill the killers, or even those who intend to kill, by walking in their shoes?

CELINE E. RIEDEL

Avon Lake, Ohio