I’ve been reading with interest about the stunning developments in the death penalty trial of Zacarias Moussaoui. The antics of government aviation attorney Carla J. Martin are beyond the pale. In reading the actual e-mails Martin sent to Moussaoui trial witnesses that included transcripts of the Government’s opening statement, I learned that thetranscripts were first e-mailed by a paralegal in the law firm representing American Airlines in the civil suit filed against the airlines over 9/11, to a lawyer in the firm, who then e-mailed them to the lawyer for United Airlines in the same civil case, who in turn e-mailed them to Carla J. Martin. The paralegal is “Maia L. Selinger.” I did quite a doubletake as it’s not a common name and after some googling, I realized it was the same Maia Selinger I used to carpool to Graland when she was about 7 years old. Maia is the daughter of Denver Psychologist Howard Selinger and Speech Pathologist Marilyn Selinger. She attended Columbia University in New York and I recall her as just a delightful child. I’d guess she’s about 22 or 23 years old now. I mention this to get her some google love, since her name is now being included in several news articles about the trial and she certainly did nothing wrong. In fact, my analysis shows the lawyer in her firm didn’t do anything wrong either. He wasn’t even the one who sent the transcript to Carla Martin. It was the United Airlines lawyer who did that. Second, and more interesting in the grand scheme of things, government witnesses at trial last week disclosed where Moussaoui was headed next, had he not been arrested: It was Denver, where both he and his asssociate, Mr. al-Attas, while being interrogated in Minnesota prior to 9/11, told authorities he had “some business” with United airlines after he completed flight training in the Twin Cities. From page 892 of the March 9, 2006 afternoon transcript and the testimony of FBI Agent Samit:

892 Q. At any point did he indicate to you whether he and Mr. 15 al-Attas intended to take a sight-seeing trip in the United 16 States? 17 A. He did. 18 Q. What did he tell you about that? 19 A. He told us that he was planning to go to New York and Denver 20 as well. 21 Q. Did he tell you when that was going to occur? 22 A. At the conclusion of his training in Minnesota.

860-61 Q. Did Mr. al-Attas tell you what their plans were after being 1 in the Twin Cities up there? 2 A. Mr. al-Attas said that they were looking to travel around the 3 United States. 4 Q. Did he give you particular locations that he said they 5 intended to go to? 6 A. He did, New York and Denver. 7 Q. Okay. Did he tell you why they were going to go to New York 8 and to Denver? 9 A. New York to see the sights and Denver because Mr. Moussaoui 10 told him that there was some additional business with United 11 Airlines that he needed to take care of.