The Plea Bargaining Blog

CNN is reporting that Zarein Ahmedzay pleaded guilty today to terrorism charges stemming from his role in the al-Qaeda plot to conduct suicide bombings on the New York subway system in September 2009. The charges to which Ahmedzay pleaded guilty included conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction in the U.S., conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country, and providing material support to a terrorist organization. According to federal prosecutors, Ahmedzay and another individual conspired with Najibullah Zazi, who earlier pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. Ahmedzay listened intently in court and swiveled from side to side in his chair as the judge made sure he understood what entering a guilty plea meant. He responded that everything was clear to him and then stood up to make a statement detailing his role in the terror plot. Ahmedzay started his statement with a quote from the Quran and ended with a message to Americans. "I strongly urge the American people to stop supp...

The AP is reporting that Demario Atwater, one of the individuals accused of killing UNC Student Body President Eve Carson, pleaded guilty to federal charges on Monday, including carjacking resulting in death and kidnapping. The plea deal means Atwater will avoid the death penalty. Eve Carson, 22, of Athens, Ga., was found shot to death in the middle of a Chapel Hill street in March 2008. She had been shot five times, including once in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun. "While we deplore the evil and negligence that led to Eve's death, we agree with the U.S. Attorney's decision to accept the plea agreement," Carson's parents said in a statement Monday released by prosecutors. "We are very grateful for the dedication and hard work that have gone into the investigation and prosecution of this crime." Atwater is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23, and he still faces charges in state court along with Laurence Lovette, who was only 17 at the time of the kil...