United States v. Lindh
United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
212 F.Supp. 2d 541 (2002)
John Lindh (defendant), an American citizen, trained with a designated terrorist organization and later swore allegiance to the Taliban in Afghanistan, meeting Osama bin Laden and fighting against U.S. allies even after learning of the September 11 attacks; he was later captured, participated in an escape attempt during which a U.S. agent was killed, and was returned to the U.S. to face federal charges including providing material support to a terrorist organization under 18 U.S.C. § 2339B. Lindh moved to dismiss the material-support counts, arguing the statute's ban on providing "personnel" was unconstitutionally vague and overbroad.
Whether the federal criminal statute prohibiting Americans from providing material support to foreign terrorist organizations is unconstitutionally vague or overbroad.