Minnesota terror sentences expected to set national pattern
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The sentences handed down in a Minnesota terrorism case are expected to set a pattern for other terrorism cases across the country.
The nine sentences meted out this week by federal Judge Michael Davis ranged from time served to 35 years.
The case targeted a group of young male friends in Minnesota's large Somali community who prosecutors say helped radicalize each other, watching hours of violent propaganda videos, including beheadings and burnings.
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Fordham University terrorism expert Karen Greenberg says the sentencings are expected to guide judges handling other Islamic State-related terrorism cases across the country. She says Davis provided some "much needed" rationale for issuing a spectrum of sentences and treating defendants individually.
She says several other terrorism cases will be wrapping up in the next few months.