Veteran human rights attorney Lynne Stewart was convicted yesterday in a New York court of 5 counts of conspiracy and lying and of helping her client, the imprisoned blind sheik Omar Abdel-Rahman, send messages to his followers. Rahman was found guilty in1995 of conspiring to attack U.S. targets. He was serving a life term when the crimes charged against Stewart occurred. Stewart was convicted of all five counts against her, including two terrorism charges that combined carry a maximum15-year prison term. All five counts combined carry a maximum term of 30. The verdict has sent shock waves through the legal community and many analysts say it will have serious ramifications for the defense of people charged with terrorism because defense lawyers could be intimidated by fears they too could be charged with terrorism. Stewart’s co-defendants were also convicted on all counts. The trial lasted more than seven months. The Manhattan federal jurors deliberated 13 days.