In a joint motion, defendants in United States v. Holy Land Foundation, et al. seek to have U.S. District Judge Jorge A. Solis of the Northern District of Texas postpone a retrial, because, they allege, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has not paid most of the legal fees for four of the defendants’ court-appointed lawyers since October 2007 when a mistrial in the case was declared. The defendants also allege the 5th Circuit has not paid or approved expenses related to defense preparations for the Sept. 8 retrial.
In the July 15 “Defendants’ Joint Motion for Extension of Time for All Remaining Pre-Trial Deadlines and Trial,” the five individual defendants, all of whom formerly worked for HLF, a now-defunct Richardson, Texas-based Muslim charity, argue that because of the nonpayment, the defense is not prepared for retrial. Four of the HLF defendants are indigent and are represented by court-appointed lawyers pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §3006A.
