Faisal Shahzad, the alleged “Times Square bomber,” recently received a preliminary court hearing. It is about time. He has been held in federal custody for two weeks. Shahzad has not been convicted yet and, thanks to our justice system, is therefore innocent until proven guilty. Of course some assert ‘how could he not be guilty, hasn’t he confessed?’ Yes, indeed he has confessed and has waived his right to a speedy trial.

But neither of those facts explain why it took two weeks for Shahzad to have a preliminary court hearing. Attorney General Eric Holder has not stated why it has taken such an extraordinary amount of time. Traditionally, suspects tried in criminal court are arraigned (brought on formal charges) within 48 hours of arrest unless there are extraordinary circumstances.

Historically, the public exposure of state-sponsored mass murder or terrorism through a transparent judicial process has strengthened the forces of good and undercut the extremists.

The Nuremberg trials were a classic case.