Law: Trial Without Defendants

Defiant Puerto Rican terrorists boycott the courtroom

Spectators were frisked and had to walk through metal detectors. Twice a day, dogs sniffed around for bombs. The courtroom was crammed with evidence—wigs, explosive paraphernalia, even the proverbial kitchen sink (it bore palm prints). Only one thing was missing during the six-day trial at the federal office building in Chicago: a defendant.

In fact, eleven defendants were absent. All are members of the Puerto Rican independence group called F.A.L.N. (short for Fuerzas Armadas de Liberation National Puertorriqueña), which specializes in terrorist bombings. Calling themselves prisoners of war, the defendants refused to recognize the authority of...

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