Fort Dix Defense May Focus on Informant

Article

Posted May 10, 2007, 09:15 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Six men accused of plotting to attack Fort Dix are likely to contest the role of the main informer in the case against them.

Some informers have less than savory backgrounds, and defense lawyers sometimes contend they entrap their clients.

The complaint against the suspects details how the men wanted the informant to lead the attack and procure the weapons they needed, the New York Times reports. The document also acknowledges that the informant had misled investigators to protect a friend.

Troy Archie, a lawyer for one of the suspects, told the newspaper that entrapment is a matter of degree. “The police are allowed to use some enticement in cases,” he said. “But it depends how far they go.”