Feds Demand Tougher Sentence for Lynne Stewart

Federal prosecutors are still pushing for a tougher jail term for Lynne Stewart, a lawyer convicted of passing messages from an imprisoned terrorist.

Prosecutors in the office of the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan filed court paperwork Friday arguing that Stewart's original jail term of 28 months was too low.

They asked for a term of 15 to 30 years to reflect the "deadly serious nature'' of her crime.

Stewart was convicted of helping blind Sheik Ahmed Abdel-Rahman get messages to followers after he was sentenced to a life term in a high-security prison for plotting to blow up New York City landmarks.

An appeals court ordered a new sentencing hearing for Stewart in 2006 after prosecutors complained that it was too light

That hearing is now set for July.