The scales of federal justice versus Noor Salman, explained.

Widow of Pulse nightclub shooter, Omar Mateen, who killed forty-nine people, is now on trial for her alleged hate crime involvement.

By Madeline Arnold | Jan 26, 2017, 2:42am PST

On January 17, 2017, Noor Salman pled not guilty to federal charges of obstruction of justice and aiding and abetting by providing support to a terrorist organization, The New York Times reported.

Q: Who is Noor Salman and why is her case important?

Salman is the wife of Omar Mateen. On June 12, 2016, Mateen went to the the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, and shot and killed forty-nine people and injured fifty-three others. He called 911 to confirm himself as the murderer and claimed allegiance to the leader of ISIS. He was killed by local police in a shootout. The Pulse nightclub shooting is the greatest act of terror against the LGBT community in the United States.

Q: What are the charges against Salman?

According to The New York Times, “An indictment unsealed on Tuesday accused Ms. Salman, 30, of “aiding and abetting the attempted provision and provision of material support to a foreign terrorist organization,” a charge that can carry a sentence of life in prison. She was also charged with obstruction of justice for allegedly misleading police officers and federal agents, who interviewed her for 12 hours on the day of the shooting.”

Q: What is the meaning of aiding and abetting?

In order for the federal government to convict Salman of aiding and abetting her husband, UCLA Assistant Professor of Law, Beth Colgan, stated, “Conspiracy is a crime where you are engaged in activity with at least one other person, in which you take a step towards completing a different offense. They are usually conspiracies to commit murder. The two people have to have an agreement about what they want to do and have taken some steps towards bringing the crime towards fruition. So, those are the elements of the case that the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt.”

When Salman was interviewed by the FBI, her statements contradicted each other. She claimed she knew of Mateen’s planned terrorist attack on Pulse because he wanted to perform a jihadist attack in the name of ISIS. However, she later retracted her testimony, stating Mateen did not leave their home on the night of the shooting and asserted she was unaware of his plans. Yet, according to CNN, Salman admitted she suspected Mateen’s intentions towards carrying out the Pulse shooting because “Mateen had thoughts of wanting to do something violent. He had been talking about it for months, if not years.”

Q: What is the meaning of obstruction of justice?

Concerning Salman’s obstruction of justice charge, her misleading testimonies to the FBI attempted to “influence, delay or prevent the communication of information to law enforcement officers." Her original admission of knowledge about Mateen’s intent to commit murder was later changed to denial. Authorities believe Salman willingly and knowingly hindered the Pulse investigation.

According to NBC News, “Although she was with him when he bought bullets at Walmart and scouted out the club in Orlando, she told The New York Times, "I was unaware of everything."

Q: What does Salman’s defense attorney claim?

CNN reports defense attorney Linda Moreno denies that her client knew anything about what her husband planned to do. "Noor Salman had no foreknowledge nor could she predict what Omar Mateen intended to do that tragic night," said Moreno, her attorney, in a statement after Salman's arrest.

Q: Will a jury trial benefit Salman?

According to UCLA Acting Professor of Law, Joanna C. Schwartz, Salman “can request a jury trial.” Given that Salman claims her husband abused her and that she remains the sole parent of their three-year-old child, it is anticipated this will be a jury trial because the jury will “absolutely be more sympathetic towards her.”

Q: What does this story illustrate?

In the end, increasing acts of hate crimes illustrate a violent society, in which we all must live together. Schwartz stated, “We’re in a scary time and an act of mass violence certainly is one of the many reasons. With the press attention to these events, it has both an illuminating effect and a distorting effect. With the 24/7 coverage of these kinds of events, I think one view is that it provides us with more information; the other is that it creates unnecessary fear.”

Salman is considered innocent until proven guilty.

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