Really?! "Prone to Violence" Is It?

"The defendant's murderous efforts to flee, less than 48 hours after the bombings in Manhattan, are probative of his consciousness of guilt."
"The defendant's interest in jihad, terrorist organizations, terrorist attacks, and other terrorists, is probative of his motive, intent, and plan to commit the charged crimes."
New York federal prosecutors, Manhattan Federal court

"The government's insistence on introducing these three plainly inadmissible emails can only be explained by the government's desire to cherry-pick the most inflammatory evidence to force-fit the 'radicalization' theory it has drummed up to make its case more 'compelling, dramatic, and seductive'."
"The only plausible reason the government is trying to get this 'evidence' before jurors is to inflame them with evidence that Mr. Rahimi has a 'bad character' or is prone to violence."
Lawyers for the defence

Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the man accused of setting off bombs in New Jersey and New York in September, injuring more than 30 people, is led into court Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2016, in Elizabeth, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

Afghanistan-born Ahmad Khan Rahimi, 29, on trial for charges laid against his person alleging that he detonated a pipe bomb close to a Seaside Park in New Jersey and placed two pressure cooker bombs in Manhattan is an honest, innocent man mistakenly taken for a terrorist, and whom federal prosecutors are busy attempting to colour as such. The lawyers for this blameless man will not, however allow him to become a sacrifice to unreasoning fear and obvious Islamophobia.

Mr. Rahimi is so very obviously a victim of mistaken or misinterpreted identity. That he is Muslim and of Afghan birth gives service to prejudiced and unjust accusations with the intention of holding him guilty for crimes he had no hand in. Purely coincidental as it happens that back in 2012 he demonstrated active interest in online propaganda disseminated by terrorists. And that through the same medium became proficient in producing his own bombs.

In particular, the defence takes umbrage at government plans that jurors be exposed to video links taken from Rahimi's online accounts showing people wearing head scarves, an assault rifle and a rocket launcher; clearly provocative moves on the part of the prosecution, and totally irrelevant to the case at hand. So, he had an interest in The Book of Jihad. Doesn't everyone?

The trial judge must now consider the defence lawyers' request that government plans to show jurors a blood-stained notebook complete with bullet hole representing the prosecution's fanciful contention that it represents evidence of Rahimi's resistance through a shootout with police attempting to arrest him two days following the bombing represents yet another outrage.

Lawyers for Ahmad Rahimi wanted the trial moved to another state, fearing a prejudiced jury pool in New York.  (Mel Evans/AP)

It is clearly unjust, according to the defence, that prosecutors are relying on deliberately inflammatory tactics to sway jurors during the course of the trial. A trial that is likely to have been tainted by pre-judgement to begin with. Relying on circumstantial evidence depicting this American citizen as having been well prepared by choice and inclination to join the ranks of jihadist martyrs.

Simply because he opened fire on five police officers planning to take him into custody proves nothing other than the man was prepared to defend himself.

That a bomb in the Chelsea neighbourhood of Manhattan injured 30 people when it was detonated, as one of two pressure cooker bombs that were placed in Manhattan by some nefarious character is of course a crime, but one linked to their client only through the connivance of the police and the prosecution looking for a likely suspect, and focusing on their young and blameless client.