Source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2009/09/04/general-us-ashcroft-lawsuit_6850713.html

Associated Press
Appeals court rules against Ashcroft in 9/11 case
Associated Press, 09.04.09, 04:03 PM EDT

BOISE, Idaho -- A federal appeals court has ruled that former Attorney General John Ashcroft may be held liable for people who were wrongfully detained as material witnesses after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In a harshly worded 91-page ruling handed down Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that a man who was detained as a witness in a federal terrorism case can sue Ashcroft for allegedly violating his constitutional rights.

Abdullah Al-Kidd, a U.S. citizen and former University of Idaho student, filed the lawsuit in 2005, claiming his civil rights were violated when he was detained for two weeks after 9/11.

Al-Kidd said the investigation and detention not only caused him to lose a scholarship to study in Saudi Arabia, but cost him employment opportunities.