OAKLAND, Calif. _ A federal judge in Florida on Thursday temporarily stopped the widow of Orlando nightclub killer Omar Mateen from being released from custody on bond.
Federal prosecutors had asked the Florida court to stop the release of 30-year-old Rodeo mother Noor Salman, which had been scheduled for Friday. U.S. District Judge Donna Ryu in Oakland on Wednesday ordered Salman's release on "strict conditions" and a $500,000 bond.
U.S. District Judge Paul Byron in Orlando on Thursday stayed Ryu's order and called for Salman to remain jailed until the attorneys can argue whether she should remain jailed before him. He has given the defense until Wednesday to respond to the prosecutors' motion to block her release from custody.
Salman is accused of helping her husband kill 49 people and wound 53 others at an Orlando nightclub last year. Mateen, an American-born security guard who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, was killed at the scene by SWAT officers. Salman was arrested and charged in January, seven months after the massacre.
Ryu had placed a 48-hour stay on her own order to allow U.S. attorneys to seek relief from the Florida court, where Salman will be ultimately moved to face charges of aiding and abetting a terrorist organization and obstruction of justice. She faces life in prison.
Ryu ordered the release of Salman after finding that U.S. attorneys failed to prove that she was dangerous to the community or a flight risk. Ryu called the weight of the evidence against Salman "debatable" and said she should be released to her uncle's custody under strict conditions that include GPS monitoring, home incarceration and a $500,000 bond secured by family members' homes.
Salman's attorneys said a release from custody in terrorism-related cases occurs only 1 percent to 2 percent of the time, so Ryu's order was indicative that the prosecution's case against Salman is weak. They describe her as a former special education student who was abused by Mateen and lived an isolated life focused on her and Mateen's 4-year-old son. A psychological study ordered by the court concluded that Salman suffers from a learning disability that prevents abstract thinking, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Salman's attorneys said she didn't share her husband's views. They point to her actions on the night of the attack in which she shopped for a Father's Day gift for Mateen and planned a family vacation as evidence that she was unaware of her husband's violent plans.
Meanwhile, the government said Salman not only knew, but she helped her husband scout for locations for his attack and provided him an alibi for the night to her family. They argue that the Oakland judge did not give enough weight to the evidence against Salman. They said keeping her in custody is the only appropriate option given the seriousness of her terrorism charge.
