A federal judge Thursday rejected arguments that the retrial of a Jordanian accused of lying about whether he knew one of the Sept. 11 hijackers should be moved because jurors in New York were biased.

Lawyers for Osama Awadallah, 26, had argued for a change of venue when it emerged after his first trial that several jurors during deliberations “were tearfully discussing their September 11 recollections” even though he is not charged in the attacks. A holdout juror forced a mistrial.

US District Judge Shira Scheindlin said in her ruling that jurors in New York had a more ethnically diverse background than in other parts of the United States. She said a careful jury selection that asked potential jurors where they were the day of the attacks could discern bias.

“The effects of September 11 were felt nationwide, and there is no reason to believe that jurors in a different jurisdiction would lack an emotional response with prejudicial effects,” the judge said.

Awadallah is accused of lying during grand jury investigations in the weeks after the attacks when he said he did not know Khalid al-Midhar, one of the five men believed to have hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon. He is due to face a new trial in November.

Source: Reuters