Defiant to the end as she embraced emotional supporters outside the federal courthouse in Lower Manhattan, Lynne F. Stewart, the radical lawyer known for defending unpopular clients, surrendered on Thursday evening to begin serving her 28-month sentence for assisting terrorism.“This is the day they executed Joe Hill, and his words were, ‘Don’t mourn me, organize,’ ” Ms. Stewart said as she walked toward the courthouse, referring to the labor organizer executed on Nov. 19, 1915, after a controversial trial. “I hope that will be the message that I send, too.”
After a lengthy trial, a jury in 2005 convicted Ms. Stewart, now 70, of providing material aid to terrorism and of lying to the government while helping an imprisoned client, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, communicate with his followers in Egypt.
People like Stewart are not supposed to go to jail, thanks to progressive omerta*. They're supposed to be able to wrap themselves in the bogus heroism of radicals past (what did Joe Hill ever do?), give speeches to credulous law students, and live comfortably in a country they despise. I know that, if she ever gets out of jail, Stewart will immediately write a book about her "struggle" or whatever. But, for now, w can savor this moment.
*btw, if Eric Holder and Barack Obama wanted to impress their left-wing base, they would have been better off pardoning Lynn Stewart, rather than transferring KSM to civilian court.
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