Pa. judge rules defendant can’t use alias at trial; he fears being branded a terrorist
By APFriday, December 4, 2009
Pa. judge won’t let Jordanian use alias at trial
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. — An illegal immigrant accused of kidnapping and raping a Pennsylvania woman must use his real name at trial.
Thirty-seven-year-old Khalid Altawarh has used the name Dave Shookby since moving to the U.S. from Jordan in 1996. Shookby is the name of his hometown in Jordan.
He asked a Bucks County judge to allow him to be addressed by his alias during the trial. He worries that jurors might be biased against a person of Middle Eastern descent and associate him with terrorism.
The judge ruled Thursday that using an alias in court could result in legal problems.
Altawarh was arrested in May. Police say he robbed, beat, raped and tortured a woman for three hours and threatened to kill her.
Altawarh denies the charges. He’s being held on $2 million bail.
Information from: The Intelligencer, www.phillyburbs.com
