53% in Survey Favor Civilian Trial for Lindh

More than half of Californians approve of the Justice Department’s decision to try John Walker Lindh in a civilian court, according to a Field Institute poll.

The survey showed that 53% of those interviewed agree the Marin County man captured with Taliban fighters in Afghanistan should be tried in civilian court, while 32% disapprove of the move and 15% had no opinion.

If Lindh is found guilty of conspiring to kill U.S. citizens, two out of three respondents favor a harsh sentence, with 39% favoring life in prison without parole and 28% favoring the death penalty.