Ex-Prosecutor Acquitted In Detroit Terror Trial

DETROIT — A former federal prosecutor was acquitted yesterday of withholding evidence from the defense during the nation's first major terrorism trial after the September 11 attacks.

The government said Richard Convertino wanted so badly to win convictions in the case that he broke the law. But Mr. Convertino's lawyers insisted he did nothing wrong and had no reason to hide evidence against four North African men accused of operating a "sleeper" terrorist cell.

"It's a just end to a politically motivated prosecution," Mr. Convertino said. The jury also acquitted Harry Smith III, a former State Department investigator.

Mr. Convertino, 46, was accused of withholding photos of a Jordanian hospital from defense attorneys. Prosecutors alleged the photographs could have helped the defense at the 2003 trial undermine a government argument about how well a surveillance sketch of the hospital matched reality. The sketch was found in an apartment used by part of the suspected Detroit cell.