▁seeking ▁a ▁ret rial . ▁That ▁decision ▁was ▁obviously ▁correct . ▁Two ▁federal ▁jud ges ▁have ▁concluded ▁that ▁Ham id ▁would ▁not ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁guilty ▁had ▁the ▁powerful ▁evidence ▁of ▁his ▁innoc ence ▁that ▁won ▁his ▁freedom ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁been ▁presented ▁to ▁his ▁j ury ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁“ Wh ile ▁we ▁are ▁grateful ▁for ▁the ▁dismiss al , ▁the ▁four teen ▁years ▁Ham id ▁spent ▁behind ▁bars ▁on ▁ ▁charges ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁innoc ent ▁remain ▁a ▁grave ▁mis car riage ▁of ▁justice . ▁They ▁serve ▁as ▁a ▁stark ▁example ▁of ▁how , ▁in ▁the ▁post ▁ 9 / 1 1 ▁era , ▁the ▁government ’ s ▁effort ▁to ▁protect ▁the ▁public ▁from ▁terror ism ▁could ▁and ▁did ▁in ▁this ▁case ▁go ▁ter rib ly ▁wrong . ▁Ham id ’ s ▁ex on er ation ▁is ▁a ▁cause ▁for ▁celebr ation , ▁but ▁the ▁story ▁of ▁his ▁case ▁is ▁tra ged y ▁that ▁must ▁not ▁be ▁repeated .” ▁ ▁In ▁a ▁statement , ▁Ham id ▁Hay at ▁said : ▁ ▁“ When ▁( my ▁att orney ) ▁Dennis ▁said ▁‘ H ey , ▁con gr at ulations , ▁it ’ s ▁over ! ’ ▁I ▁didn ’ t ▁believe ▁it . ▁Hon est ly , ▁it ▁was ▁like ▁a ▁dream . ▁Thank ▁you ▁to ▁my ▁family , ▁CA IR - S ac r amento , ▁my ▁legal ▁team ▁and ▁my ▁supp or ters ▁for ▁standing ▁by ▁me ▁every ▁step ▁of ▁the