U.S. Asks Court to Reconsider Order Allowing U.S. Enemy Detainee to Meet Lawyer

On January 15, 2003, Judge Michael B. Mukasey held a hearing on a motion of the Bush Administration for the court to reconsider his prior order that would allow U.S. citizen Jose Padilla, whom the Bush Administration has classified as an enemy combatant, to meet with his lawyers. Since June Padilla has been detained at a Navy brig in Charleston, South Carolina. Padilla is one of at least two U.S. nationals known to have been detained in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks without any charges being filed or access to counsel. The defense responded that the U.S. Government was delaying compliance and speculating about Padilla?s potential value. Donna R. Newman and Andrew G. Patel, Padilla?s counsel, represented that they would not object to ?a limited ?gag order? that directed them not to discuss publicly ?the substance of their conversations with Padilla.?