How to Defend a 21st Century Pirate

Pace Law Professor Sasha Greenawalt is quoted in this article in New York Magazine's Daily Intel for April 23. Prof. Greenawalt discusses defenses that may be available to Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse, the age-indeterminate Somali pirate who is charged with piracy for his role in boarding the Maersk Alabama with three other men and taking the ship's captain hostage.

Prof. Greenawalt discusses protection offered by the Geneva Conventions (Muse as an injured combatant and POW), age (Muse's age is in question), and the victimization defense (Muse as an ignorant victim), but Prof. Greenawalt says that

ignorance and victimization are far from foolproof arguments in the American justice system.

The authors of the article add that "blaming it on the rum probably won’t work either."