Just 35% of New York State voters agree with Attorney General Eric Holder’s decision to try the confessed mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks and five other suspected terrorists in a civilian court in New York City rather than before a military tribunal.

A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey in the state finds that 55% are opposed to that decision, which is part of the Obama administration’s effort to close the terrorist prison camp at the Guantanamo Naval Base in Cuba.

But 57% are at least somewhat confident that New York City will be safe and secure during the trials of the terrorism suspects. Twenty-three percent (23%) are very confident.

Thirty-eight percent (38%) are not confident that the city will be safe during the trials, with 26% who are not very confident and 12% who are not at all confident.

Nationally, 51% of voters oppose the decision to try the suspected terrorists in a civilian court in New York City.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

In New York State, voters under the age of 40 are more supportive of civilian trials for the terrorists than are their elders. Blacks oppose the decision more than whites.

Seventy-four percent (74%) of Republicans and 62% of voters not affiliated with either major party in the state disagree with trying the suspected terrorists in a civilian court rather than before a military tribunal. Democrats in New York are almost evenly divided on the question.

Members of the president’s party are also much more confident that the city will be safe and secure while the trials are going on. Thirty-two percent (32%) of Empire State Democrats are very confident, compared to eight percent (8%) of GOP voters and 21% of unaffiliateds.

Thirty-three percent (33%) of male voters are very confident the city will be safe and secure, but just 15% of female voters agree.

Only 18% of voters nationwide feel that the U.S. legal system worries too much about protecting national security.

More than twice as many, 39% now believe that the legal system worries too much about protecting individual rights. A couple of years ago, the number who believed the system worried too much about national security was roughly the same as the number who thought it was too worried about protecting individual rights.

Voter confidence in America’s conduct of the War on Terror has fallen to its lowest level since the first week of January in 2007. Largely unchanged for months is the view by 45% that America is safer today than before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree and say the country is not safer.

President Obama now says the Guantanamo prison camp will not be closed by January as he had planned. The administration is having difficulty finding places to move the terrorist suspects since most Americans are opposed to having them in U.S. prisons.

Thirty-nine percent (39%) of voters now say the president’s performance in the area of national security is good or excellent, down 16 points from the week he took office in January. Forty percent (40%) say he’s doing a poor job in national security.

Democratic incumbent Kirsten Gillibrand leads former Governor George Pataki 45% to 42% in a hypothetical 2010 Senate match-up in New York State.

State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is still out front in New York’s 2010 gubernatorial race.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free)… let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.

See survey questions and toplines. Crosstabs are available to Premium Members only.