Minnesota Terror Sentences Expected To Set National Pattern

The nine sentences meted out this week by federal Judge Michael Davis ranged from time served to 35 years.

The case targeted a group of young male friends in Minnesota's large Somali community who prosecutors say helped radicalize each other, watching hours of violent propaganda videos, including beheadings and burnings.

Fordham University terrorism expert Karen Greenberg says the sentencings are expected to guide judges handling other Islamic State-related terrorism cases across the country. She says Davis provided some "much needed" rationale for issuing a spectrum of sentences and treating defendants individually.

She says several other terrorism cases will be wrapping up in the next few months.