Accused 'Underwear Bomber' Asks To Be Judged By Quran
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A Nigerian man accused of trying to blow up a Detroit-bound plane in 2009 on Christmas Day claims he was the victim of excessive force after he "assaulted" several officers in his prison cell.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab filed a handwritten request with a judge, asking that no excessive force be used against him when he defends his Islamic religion.
In another request, Abdulmutallab wants to be released from prison, and be judged by the Quran, the Muslim holy book.
WWJ and Fox 2 Legal Analyst Charlie Langton says we're getting a little insight into Abdulmutallab's defense in this case.
"The underwear bomber is making a ridiculous request and he's making it in an improper way ... His defense is basically saying, I want to use Quran law, or Islamic law of some kind, the way he interprets it, in my trial. That is obviously not gonna fly," said Langton. "He better learn American law and he better learn it pretty fast."
"The bottom line here is he's trying to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and there's only a certain point where the patience of the judge is going to come through," said Langton.
"He can't just write letters to the judge. It's not gonna fly, and he better make good, legitimate, American legal arguments."
Langton said no judge in the United States is going to allow him to talk about the Quran as a way to justify what he did.
