An ex-Congressional candidate who allegedly plotted to massacre a Muslim community in upstate New York was allowed to go free this week as his case proceeded, due to a federal judge's order.
Meanwhile, another federal judge cast doubt on whether the defendant Robert Doggart – who is accused of planning to enlist a heavily-armed militia armed with assault rifles and machetes to attack a Muslim school and mosque – was a "true threat," effectively torpedoing a plea agreement that could have put Doggart behind bars for up to five years.
Federal marshals arrested Doggart on April 10, after intercepting a call in which Doggart – who in 2014 ran an unsuccessful U.S. congressional campaign in Tennessee – allegedly threatened to attack a Muslim community in Hancock, N.Y. His lawyers and prosecutors came to an agreement where he would have pleaded guilty to a single charge of interstate communication of a threat, a charge that carries up to five years in prison. ...
An unsealed criminal complaint showed Doggart discussing how many men armed with assault rifles, Molotov cocktails, and even machetes would be necessary to burn down a school and mosque, and kill residents outside of the New York hamlet, nicknamed “Islamberg” by its residents. The complaint suggested Doggart tried to recruit participants through Facebook, referring to the community as “Target 3.”
“Target 3 is vulnerable...and must be utterly destroyed in order to get the attention of the American People," Doggart wrote. He also told an FBI source that he’d set a April 15 deadline to carry out the armed attack, according to the plea agreement, which he said was “gonna start a civil war.”
I wonder how these judges would have reacted if this guy had been black and/or Muslim, planning an attack on white Christians?
As it is,... well, who cares, right?
In other news, they did arrest a man who threatened to kill President Obama, but I suppose the judges will find him to be harmless, too?
A criminal complaint and arrest warrant were issued Thursday suggesting that the man, 55-year-old Brian D. Dutcher from Tomah, Wisconsin, told a security guard a La Crosse library that if he had the chance he would "take him out," referring to Obama, and "take the shot."
Dutcher confirmed to the Secret Service that he had made the remarks, the warrant said, and told La Crosse detectives he was serious about the threat. According the warrant, Dutcher had also posted to Facebook earlier this week, "that's it! Thursday I will be in La Crosse. Hopefully I will get a clear shot at the pretend president. Killing him is our CONSTITUTIONAL DUTY!"
Of course, Republican politicians are baffled at where this guy could have gotten the idea that killing the Kenyan who hates America, the tyrant illegitimately occupying the White House in order to destroy us all, is his constitutional duty.
But either way, as a 'real' American, he should be allowed as many military-grade weapons as he can carry.
Check out this comment from a Facebooker named Matt Brown defending Dutcher (sort of):
ReplyDelete"Nut case. Glad they got him.
Most of the messages here aren't threats though and much of it isn't even that objectionable.
Wishing or wanting Mr. Obama dead is not illegal."
Let that last sentence soak in for a moment. It's all you need to know about Matt Brown.
Yes, indeed, Jeff. And Dutcher probably is a nutcase. Who else but a nutcase would plan to kill the president, or even talk about it? But that's the whole point.
DeleteRight-wing rhetoric stirring up nutcases is exactly what I'm worried about. They push nutcases to act - and then they wash their hands of it.