Holding Their Breath

Sami Al-Arian's children wait for the jury to decide his fate

By JOHN GRAVOIS

The day before the first real cold snap hit New York in November, Laila Al-Arian was running through the 13th floor of the Manhattan Criminal Courts Building, her black-and-hot-pink hijab a flash of color on the crowded main corridor.

She was there working on her final project...