Judge tells defense: Prove militia isn't dangerous

[The Straight Story]

Judge tells defense: Prove militia isn't dangerous


DETROIT (AP) -- An FBI agent who led the investigation of nine Michigan militia members charged with trying to launch war against the U.S. couldn't recall many details of the two-year probe Tuesday during a grilling by defense lawyers.

Even the judge who must decide whether to release the nine until trial was puzzled.

"I share the frustrations of the defense team ... that she doesn't know anything," U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts said after agent Leslie Larsen confessed she hadn't reviewed her notes recently and couldn't remember specific details of the case.

Roberts is hearing an appeal of another judge's order that has kept members of Hutaree in jail since their arrest in late March.

The indictment says the nine planned to kill police officers as a steppingstone to a widespread uprising against the government. Defense lawyers, however, say their clients are being punished for being outspoken.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FBI_RAIDS_MILITIA?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

[RandomThoughts]

1. That will be an interesting case to follow.

I do not support there perceptions, and I think the idea of our Lord asking us to kill is to not understand his message. He specifically says love your enemy, and turn the other cheek.



But on the points about people joking around about terrible things. I have seen and heard many terrible jokes, and people should be more sensitive then to make terrible jokes, but some people do have a visceral sense of humor, or say things they should not because they think it is bravado. If that law is applied equally, what about movie script writers, or some shock jocks? Since they say bad stuff sometimes.


Saying something stupid, is not planning or doing something stupid. If they were saying it with details and really planning such a thing, then that is different.

It is an interesting point on law enforcement, at what point is stopping a crime worth stopping how people speak about what they think, or were they actually planning things?

It is interesting.


I will say, I have been in conversations where you can tell people are trying to gain evidence, went through something like myself, although I mostly laughed and bantered, there were plenty of times you could tell someone was trying to get something that could be used as some argument against me. And then there is how you can gain information from an interview, and that takes a bit of word play also, it helps to have multiple interps to find the thoughts behind the speaker.

[panzerfaust]

2. Ummm - this is the same FBI yah see on the Telly?

My guess: She was threatened or bribed and these marginal folks are going to walk.

[woodsprite]

3. That was my very first thought. Wonder who got to her? n/t

[The Straight Story]

4. Wait till the ruby ridge/waco folks see this

;)

[TwilightGardener]

5. She showed up to a hearing without having reviewed the case?

Couldn't remember details? Makes you wonder if this is incompetence, or something else.