The conviction of Jose Padilla may be seen as a success story for the Bush administration. What it is, however, is a cautionary tale.

In 2002, Padilla, a U.S. citizen, was detained in Chicago on suspicion of planning to detonate a "dirty bomb." After being labeled an enemy combatant, Padilla was then held for 3 1/2 years in federal detention cells or military brigs and denied his constitutional right to due process.

During this dark period, federal interrogators used abusive practices on Padilla, such as sensory and sleep deprivation, solitary confinement, and other unconscionable methods to allegedly gather information. Guards reported that after years in captivity, Padilla had become as unresponsive as a piece of furniture.

It's the height of hypocrisy from a government that denounces such treatment of citizens in other countries. No American should be treated this way; every person deserves the right to due process.

It was only after the U.S. Supreme Court was poised to intervene that the government finally agreed to prosecute Padilla in federal court, where he was convicted on far lesser charges.

What happened to Padilla was an embarrassing failure to protect one's constitutional rights. Still, some in the Bush administration argue that he ultimately got what he deserved.

He did — a day in court.