ORLANDO, Fla. — A federal judge has denied Noor Salman's request for acquittal Friday on the charges of aiding and abetting and obstruction of justice.
Salman has pleaded not guilty to charges of aiding the support of a foreign terrorist organization resulting in death and obstruction of justice.
The case hinges on whether Salman, 31, knowingly helped Omar Mateen plan the June 12, 2016, nightclub attack.
The defense will present its case Monday after it filed the motion of acquittal late Thursday night.
Read: Salman's attorneys ask judge to dismiss charges
Salman's attorneys filed the motion after a witness for the government testified that data shows she could not have driven by the nightclub days before the attack.
In the motion, attorneys asked the judge to dismiss both charges against Salman, because the government "offered scant evidence" to show that she aided and abetted Mateen and that she obstructed justice while being interviewed by Fort Pierce police officers and FBI agents after the attack.
Photos: Courtroom sketches of Noor Salman trial
"Aiding and abetting requires, in addition to knowledge, that the person take an action that contributes to and furthers the offense," the motion said.
Salman faces life in prison if convicted.
11 p.m. Thursday
- Earlier Thursday, defense attorneys asked the judge to release Salman on bond after a government witness testified that cellphone records showed that she wasn't near the nightclub in the days leading up to the attack.
- Last year, the judge denied bond for Salman based on evidence from the government that she was with Mateen to case Pulse.
- The judge scolded prosecutors for not disclosing the evidence. The judge said that information could have affected his decision on her bond last year and his handling of the case. He said he'll consider attorneys' motion and will decide at a later date.
- "This is unusual. The government knows of its duty to disclose all evidence," WFTV legal analyst Bill Sheaffer said. "It could result in evidence being thrown out, or it could even result in the case being thrown out."
WATCH LIVE: You're the Jury: the trial of Noor SalmanWatch Live: Eyewitness News 9’s Jorge Estevez is joined by Shannon Butler and legal expert Bill Sheaffer to recap today’s events in the trial of Noor Salman, widow of Pulse nighclub gunman Omar Mateen. http://at.wftv.com/2GfJxVr
Posted by WFTV Channel 9 on Thursday, March 22, 2018
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