Jose Padilla was sentenced to 17 years, 4 months for conspiracy to commit terrorism, Curt Anderson reports for AP. He is a U.S. citizen who was detained on charges of a "dirty bomb" plot, leading to this Supreme Court decision on jurisdiction in habeas corpus cases.

The sentence today does not reflect the most serious charges against Padilla. The information gained from him during interrogation is inadmissible in a regular criminal trial under the Miranda rule.

The AP story says, "Padilla's lawyers argued for a lenient sentence," meaning no more than 10 years. But he has gotten off leniently. If even a portion of the plots alleged are true, he is guilty of "levying war against [the United States], or ... adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort," U.S. Const. Art. III § 3, i.e., treason. The appropriate punishment for that crime is death.