Why trying it in the media doesn't work

The case seems pretty straight forward. Guy is training to fly a plane into a building. Guy admits and is proud of his involvement in the planning of the planes flying into the various places that were hit on 9/11. Guy admits he had information that could have prevented it but would not reveal it and is proud he did not.
The accusation is that he is partially responsible for the events. Seems pretty cut and dried, doesn't it?
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/03/14/news/trial.php
If you read it, notice where the PROSECUTOR admits their are "credibility gaps the defense could drive a truck through". And this is about someone who pled guilty to conspiracy, who PROUDLY pled guilty, and is strictly about the sentencing. We like to think we live in a black and white world with a JUSTICE system. We don't. We live in an appearances world where "messages" mean more than substance. So by all means, get on with it, do something to this guy to send a message to the world...a message that if we can't get what we want, we will just do it anyway, screw the law and doing it the "right way".