Can Robertson be charged?

[HEyHEY]

I know in Canada he would have been arrested for suggested harm come to another person over the airwaves. So, does the US have laws like that?

[jsamuel]

1. Should Venezuela ask that he be extradited?

[smoogatz]

4. Damn right they should.

Let Holier'n-you Pat sit in a nice South American prison the rest of his life. Talk about justice.

[Initech]

16. Now that WOULD be justice.

I would seriously be popping champagne if that happened.

[Orrex]

6. Sure, and then Cambodia can ask for Kissinger

And the world-at-large can ask for Dubya.

[Newsjock]

2. Oh, silly Canadian

You don't understand that, here in the US of A, the laws don't apply to Republicans and evangelicals. They are, after all, Men of Gawd.

[madrchsod]

3. no

god told him to say we should kill the evil doers

[jsamuel]

5. I don't think he could be arrested unless someone pressed charges.

It isn't a knee jerk reaction.

[HEyHEY]

8. The cops can't just press charges on their own in this case?

[jsamuel]

12. I don't know exactly how it works.

I think that the state would have to press charges or someone who is a possible victim would have to press charges. I don't think the state is going to do it, so that means that Chavez would have to press charges.

[Turbineguy]

7. Maybe Venezuela

needs to have a Patriot Act. Then Pat is toast.

[Sgent]

9. I'm still not sure

that Pat Robertson did anything illegal.

He advocated that the President perform a legal act (for the president). Assassination is not against the law, and foreign relations is completely in the domain of the President. Advocating the President take an action isn't illegal.

[HEyHEY]

10. Hasn't he indirectly suggested someone else do it?

[Sgent]

11. Maybe

I don't remember him talking about anyone other than the US Government doing something, but I certainly could be wrong (or have missed context in the soundbite I heard).

Even so, its they type of crime usually not prosecuted in this country. I can't tell you the number of people who have been told by the police "we can't do anything until they do something" when reporting threats.

[jsamuel]

13. ummm, assasination of foreign leaders is illegal

hense the whole Saddam not being dead yet thing

[Sgent]

14. Nope

Its only illegal since there is an executive order against it -- which can be recinded (secretly) by Bush at any time he feels like it.

Its dumb to do it, Nixon was correct when he issued the order, but its entirely under the purview of the President.

[Squatch]

18. Not illegal, just bad policy.

In 1981, President Reagan issued Executive Order 12333, which stated, “No person employed by or acting on behalf of the United States Government shall engage in, or conspire to engage in, assassination.” This order codified a policy first laid down in 1976 by the Ford administration. Subsequent administrations have reaffirmed this ban. An executive order does not have the force of law, and can be changed by a new executive order at any time; moreover, because executive orders are sometimes classified, the public may not know when a new order has overruled an old one. U.S. intelligence agencies have considered Reagan’s order a ban unless specifically ordered to ignore it by the president, analysts note. But since the rise of al-Qaeda, both the Clinton and Bush administration have backed targeted killings.

[jsamuel]

19. Yes it is, it is international law

not that it matters to the US

[Squatch]

20. Not so fast...

This is a sticky question, legal scholars say. The U.N. Charter states that “in peacetime, the citizens of a nation, whether they are political officials or private individuals,” are supposed to be immune “from intentional acts of violence by citizens, agents or military forces of another nation.” But in wartime, international law allows the targeted killing of a member of the enemy’s chain of command, even the head of state, whether that person is a civilian or a military officer, and regardless of the means employed.

[jsamuel]

22. ah, I see, so if we were at war with Venezuela, then no, BUT WE AREN'T

So it would be illegal. Right?

[DaveJ]

21. I thought assassination was against the law...... ?

In regard to the OP, I think Robertson should be guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, but we know that in the U.S. the rich are extremely difficult to convict, so we just don't bother to try in most cases.

[EC]

15. If he were left wing, I'm guessing yeah, they'd find something

to charge him with.....but, ya know, he's not, they won't...

[grumpy old fart]

17. No. But he should be committed to some insane asylum ASAP.

Dude just comes up with more insane rhetoric every day. And yet, the contributions from all the little old ladies keep pouring in...and the big corporate ones too, of course.....