Tag: Crime & Punishment

Insurrection Update #17

This a continuation of my series that is watching the unfolding saga around the attack on the Capitol by Trumpian thugs……..

The big news is that the Congress has grown a set and found Bannon in contempt….

The full House has voted to hold Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress, reports the Hill. The vote was 229-202, largely along party lines. The former Trump aide refused to appear before a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol. What happens next is in the hands of the Justice Department. If the department decides to present the case to a grand jury, Bannon could eventually face a fine or jail time, or both. Our original story from Oct. 19 follows:

A House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection voted unanimously Tuesday to hold former White House aide Steve Bannon in contempt of Congress after the longtime ally of former President Donald Trump defied a subpoena for documents and testimony. The committee’s chairman, Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson, said Tuesday that Bannon “stands alone in his complete defiance of our subpoena” and the panel will not take no for an answer. He said that while Bannon may be “willing to be a martyr to the disgraceful cause of whitewashing what happened on January 6th—of demonstrating his complete loyalty to the former president,” the contempt vote is a warning to other witnesses, the AP reports.

“We won’t be deterred. We won’t be distracted. And we won’t be delayed,” Thompson added. The Tuesday evening vote sends the contempt resolution to the full House, which is expected to vote on the measure Thursday. House approval would send the matter to the Justice Department, which would then decide whether to pursue criminal charges against Bannon. The contempt resolution asserts that the former Trump aide and podcast host has no legal standing to rebuff the committee—even as Trump’s lawyer has argued that Bannon should not disclose information because it is, he claims, protected by the privilege of the former president’s office.

Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, one of just two Republicans on the committee, said: “Mr. Bannon’s and Mr. Trump’s privilege arguments do appear to reveal one thing, however: They suggest that President Trump was personally involved in the planning and execution of January 6th. And we will get to the bottom of that.” The committee says it is pursuing Bannon’s testimony because of his apparent role in the events of Jan. 6, including his communications with Trump ahead of the siege, his efforts to get the former president to focus on Jan. 6, the day Congress certified the presidential vote, and his comments on Jan. 5 that “all hell is going to break loose” the next day.

I do not understand why the House was not more prepared for this eventuality….instead they dragged this out ad nauseum.

At least one judge is getting tough on those convicted of the breach and the violence….

Prosecutors asked for 30-day terms for two Capitol rioters when they were sentenced Wednesday in Washington. US District Judge Tanya Chutkan gave Robert Bauer of Kentucky and Edward Hemenway of Virginia 45 days each. On Tuesday, Chutkan gave another person convicted in the Jan. 6 attack—Dona Sue Bissey of Indiana—two weeks, though prosecutors wanted probation. She’s imposed jail terms of 14 to 45 days in the past two weeks on defendants who pleaded guilty to riot charges, Reuters reports. “There have to be consequences for participating in an attempted violent overthrow of the government, beyond sitting at home,” Chutkan said.

She’s not the only judge to be critical of sentences and recommendations she finds too lenient in the riot prosecutions. But in a case last week, Chutkan became the first judge to impose a harsher sentence than prosecutors sought. The chief judge of the federal court in Washington also expressed concern about allowing defendants to plead guilty to misdemeanors. Even those convicted of relatively minor crimes, Judge Beryl Howell said, were involved in “terrorizing members of Congress.” During a hearing in August, Howell asked, “Does the government, in agreeing to the petty offense in this case, have any concern about deterrence?”

Chutkan, who was appointed a judge by former President Obama, raised that issue last week when Matthew Mazzocco was sentenced on a single misdemeanor charge, per WUSA. “A sentence of probation does not reflect the seriousness of the crime. … If Mr. Mazzocco walks away with probation and a slap on the wrist, that’s not going to deter anyone from trying to do what he did,” the judge said. “Nor do I agree with the government that confining him to his home, where he can be with his family, is appropriate.” Among the selfies Mazzocco took on Jan. 6 was one he posted showing the building behind him with the caption, “The capital is ours!” Chutkan gave him 45 days.

At least one Capitol police man was aiding the violent protesters…..apparently he thought more of the thugs and their moronic cause than the safety of his fellow cops….

“Take down the part about being in the building,” a Capitol Police officer advised a rioter on Jan. 7 who’d posted online about taking part in the attack the day before, new charges say. The rioters who went inside the Capitol will be charged, Michael Riley reportedly told the man in a Facebook message, USA Today reports. “Just looking out!” Riley, 50, appeared Friday in DC federal court, accused of obstruction of justice. He’s the first Capitol Police officer to be charged with helping the rioters, per CNN.

The person who communicated with Riley was arrested in January but was not named in the indictment. The two didn’t know each other but had been in Facebook groups related to fishing, the indictment says. Riley sent a friend request. “Hey, im a capitol police officer who agrees with your political stance,” their conversation began, prosecutors say. “Im glad you got out of there unscathed We had over 50 officers hurt, some pretty bad,” Riley told him the same day. The man sent Riley videos showing him at the Capitol, some of him inside the building.

Around the middle of January, Riley told the man to stay off social media, the court filing says. “Theyre arresting dozens of people aday,” the officer messaged. “Everyone that was in the building, engaged in violent acts, or destruction of property…and theyre all being charged federally with felonies.” The two spoke on the phone, as well, and the man then let others know he was communicating with “capitol police” and tell them trespassing charges were imminent. Riley is scheduled to be arraigned on Oct. 26.

A 25-year veteran, Riley was working in the K-9 unit at the time of the riot; he was not on duty in the building when it was attacked. He’s been placed on administrative leave, and the force is doing its own investigation of his conduct. Riley deleted his direct messages after the other man was arrested, per CNN, but not before writing that he was angered by seeing the rioter smoking marijuana in the Capitol on video and “acting like a moron.”

Flying the Black Flag…..

On a daily basis Fox News and other elements of the right-wing disinformation propaganda machine use stochastic terrorism and other techniques to radicalize their audience into committing acts of political violence. To this point, the Democratic Party and the political and news media class in general have remained in denial, and largely passive in response. 

In one troubling new development, Trump supporters have begun flying all-black American flags, in an implicit threat to harm or kill their opponents — meaning nonwhite people, “socialist liberals,” Muslims, vaccinated people and others deemed to be “enemies” of “real America.” As media critic Eric Boehlert recently noted, the liberal opinion site Living Blue in Texas is sounding the alarm about the specific meaning of the black flag and the Republican-fascists support for terrorism and other political violence. That post, “Are Your Republican Neighbors Planning on Killing You?”, merits lengthy quotation:

https://www.salon.com/2021/10/12/black-flag-understanding-the-trumpists-latest-threatening-symbol/

I shall continue to watching the situation around the legal issues surrounding the attack on the republic of 06 January…..

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“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–15Oct21

I have been keeping an eye on the insurrection prosecutions…..and almost everyday these idiots prove the you ‘can’t fix stupid’……

Like the moron that decided that he would be his own lawyer……

A Capitol rioter who allegedly smoked weed in a senator’s office on Jan. 6 decided to represent himself in court on Tuesday—and it went exactly as badly as could have been expected. Washington, D.C. news network WUSA reports that the wild hearing opened with a judge advising Brandon Fellows against representing himself, but he ignored that warning and went on to bolster the case against him by admitting to two new felonies. “Most people do not do this,” U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden reportedly told Fellows. “I do not think this is a good idea… but I’m going to allow you to take the stand, if you wish.” Assistant U.S. 

Attorney Mona Furst reportedly got Fellows to admit that he gained access to the Capitol through a broken window, and that he tried to get a previous judge removed from the case using the judge’s wife’s contact information. At the end of the hearing, McFadden ordered Fellows back into custody and told him: “You’ve admitted to incredible lapses of judgment here on the stand, not least of which was seeking to disqualify a New York state judge.”

Read it at WUSA

Once again these insurrectionists prove that their IQ is that of their shoe size…..

Like I said Just more proof that you ‘can’t fix stupid’……

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–14Oct21

Here in South Mississippi we have a legend of a home town boy makes good.

The person is Brett Favre, a NFL legend, if you will…..he won numerous Super Bowl rings as the QB of the Green Bay Packers….it seems that all those dollars made as a NFL super star does not preclude one from committing fraud…..

It’s pay-up time for Brett Favre, unless he wants to face a civil lawsuit. That was the warning Tuesday from Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, who said in a statement that the former NFL star still owes $828,000 in illegal welfare funds and interest, per the Mississippi Free Press. All recipients of misspent funds from the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, including Favre and Favre Enterprises, must pay the money back within 30 days or risk being sued. “These illegal expenditures and unlawful dispositions were made when you knew or had reason to know through the exercise of reasonable diligence that the expenditures were illegal and/or the dispositions were unlawful,” a letter from White to Favre said, per Mississippi Today. Fourteen other groups or individuals got similar letters, asking for a total of $77 million back. Our original story from May 13 follows:

Brett Favre still hasn’t repaid the state of Mississippi $600,000 in welfare money he received for speeches he never gave. The former NFL quarterback promised to return $1.1 million last year after state auditors said funds earmarked for needy families had been paid to his company, Favre Enterprises, in 2017 and 2018 for speeches that were never delivered, the Clarion-Ledger reports. Favre repaid $500,000 days after the auditor’s report, but Logan Reeves, a spokesman for Mississippi Auditor Shad White, tells the AP that they haven’t heard from Favre since and there was no formal agreement, or legal obligation, for him to repay the funds.

“After the initial media dustup, he stroked a check for $500 grand and gave a commitment, a voluntary commitment, to repay the rest in the coming months,” Reeves says. “And then, that didn’t happen.” The money Favre received was part of $94 million in questionable spending connected to the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program found in last year’s audit. The money went to his company via a nonprofit whose former leader was indicted in an alleged embezzlement scheme last year, along with the former head of the state’s welfare agency. Favre said last year that he didn’t know the money had come from welfare funds, Mississippi Today reports. “I love Mississippi and I would never knowingly do anything to take away from those that need it most.” he tweeted.

Being a football legend does not give one the right to commit fraud…..

Fraud is fraud and no matter one’s standing in society it must be corrected at all costs.

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–12Oct21

There seems to be a wealth of damning stories about the police acting in a pathetic display of disregard for the public.

As common as these incidents of police violence there is always one that is more disturbing than others…..this is one of those….

Police pulled over a man in Dayton, Ohio, telling him the stop was over tinted windows. In fact, police say they stopped Clifford Owensby because they were watching the house he had just left because they suspected drug activity, and they wanted a dog to sniff his car. They asked him to get out of the car, but Owensby, 39, who is paraplegic, said he could not. So they pulled him out of the car by his hair. Owensby told them that he didn’t have the use of his legs, and said he would file a lawsuit if they touched him without a good reason. He asked to make contact with a supervisor, which apparently upset the police officer he was talking to. “You can cooperate and get out of the car, or I can drag you out of the car,” he said heatedly. Owensby still resisted getting out without trusted assistance. “You can hurt me,” he can be heard saying in bodycam video released by the City of Dayton.

In the video, one officer grabs Owensby’s arm while another grabs his hair and uses it to pull him out of the car. Owensby cries out in pain, then yells: “Somebody help! I’m a paraplegic.” Once Owensby is sprawled on the ground, one officer holds him down with his knee, then police cuff his hands behind his back and drag him to their cruiser. Owensby’s shoes fall off, which another officer throws at Owensby’s car, missing once. “Can y’all call the real police, please?” Owensby can be heard pleading. Authorities say they later found a bag with $22,450 in it and claimed a dog indicated the cash could have been near drugs at some point, CNN reports. The money, Owensby said, was his savings, and officers did not make any drugs or weapons charges.

The video “is very concerning to me,” Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said, per the Dayton Daily News. “No matter where you live or what you look like, everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect when dealing with Dayton police,” Whaley said. The Dayton police department’s interim chief, Matt Carper, said, “We need to do better,” in response to video of Owensby’s arrest. That arrest, according to the Dayton Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 44 is, in fact, what Dayton police are trained to do. “The officers followed the law, their training, and departmental policies and procedures,” Jerome Dix, chapter president, said in a statement. “Sometimes the arrest of noncompliant individuals is not pretty,” he said. Owensby ultimately was cited for having a child unrestrained in the back seat, and for the tinted windows.

Procedures?

Treat a person that has NO use of his legs with disrespect and violence should not be acceptable in any form.

When will the American stop being so compliant to the violence and brutality?

Most officers may be the most trustworthy and  compassionate of people but all it takes is one a/hole to label them all as abusive.

Time for a change….immediately.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Insurrection Update #16

More and more information is coming out about the breach of the Capitol on 06 January….the picture s becoming clear on who did what when and why…..

Ever heard of the site Epik?

The Washington Post reported on the hack of Epik, a domain hosting website that has become synonymous with far-right groups and causes.

“Online records show those sites have included 8chan, which was dropped by its providers after hosting the manifesto of a gunman who killed 51 Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019; Gab, which was dropped for hosting the antisemitic rants of a gunman who killed 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018; and Parler, which was dropped due to lax moderation related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack,” reported Drew Harwell, Craig Timberg, and Hannah Allam.

According to the report, experts are combing through the data of the leak, which came courtesy of the hacker group Anonymous and includes everything from client names to home addresses to the account credential of far-right site administrators.

https://www.rawstory.com/epik-hack-far-right/

The slow leak of information is beginning to run more rapid…..

The fresh evidence also shows what many people in Trump’s inner circle knew in January: His case to stay in power was meritless, but an unchained commander in chief chose to listen to acolytes pushing wild conspiracies. Some of those who knew the truth refused to speak up, even as American democracy came under attack.
Just this week, it’s been revealed that:
  • Trump had blueprints that the Republicans tried to use to prevent Congress from certifying President Joe Biden’s clear and genuine victory, in the form of a memo that laid out a plan for then-Vice President Mike Pence to thwart Biden’s Electoral College triumph. The memo was reported in the new book “Peril,” by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, and was later obtained by CNN.
  • Trump’s own campaign staff knew that outlandish claims of fraud made by the then-President’s lawyers were utterly false, according to a report in The New York Times. But they did nothing to stop his dangerous allegations.
  • Trump sent a letter full of false information to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, asking him to start the process of decertifying the 2020 election.
  • “Peril” also contains a passage that shows Trump cared little for truth, what voters decided in November or bedrock constitutional values — but agonized about his reputation and mused that accepting defeat would brand him as one of history’s losers.

This growing paper trail, which is likely to be of intense interest to the House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection, appears to prove Trump’s intent to stay in power illegally. The record is beginning to add up to an extraordinary indictment of the ex-President’s abuses of power and one of the darkest moments in US history.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/22/politics/donald-trump-new-revelations/index.html

The Trumpite idiots failed in their Justice For J6…..it did not just fail ut was a complete bust….

According to Jared Holt, who researches domestic extremism for the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, right-wing extremists like those who stormed the Capitol building were “scared shitless” of creating another event like January 6 on Saturday — to the point that several conservative leaders, including Trump, warned their followers to stay away from the rally, claiming it was a trap.

Ultimately, only about 100 people showed up, according to an estimate by the Washingtonian’s Andrew Beaujon — far fewer than some pre-rally predictions — and the protesters were at times outnumbered by members of the media.

https://www.vox.com/2021/9/19/22682438/trump-justice-for-j6-rally-far-right-elections

they

A new legal tactic for the breach….the certification of an election is not a legal proceeding…..

Many of the perpetrators of the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol have been charged with the federal crime of “obstructing an official proceeding” of Congress because their attack was intended to disrupt the counting of electors to confirm the victory of President Joe Biden.

But according to the Seattle Times, the attorney for one of the attackers, Seattle-area Proud Boy Ethan Nordean, is trying a novel approach by questioning whether the counting of electors really counts as an “official proceeding.”

“During a nearly two-hour hearing Tuesday before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, a lawyer for Ethan Nordean argued to Judge Timothy J. Kelly that government prosecutors have misapplied criminal charges against Nordean and three co-defendants under a part of federal criminal law aimed to protect ‘official proceedings’ from interference,” reported Lewis Kamb. “Congress’s act to certify Electoral College votes from a presidential election doesn’t qualify as an ‘official proceeding,’ attorney Nicholas Smith argued, because a bevy of case law has defined such proceedings as events involving an investigative purpose or truth-finding inquiry.”

https://www.rawstory.com/proud-boys-capitol-riot-2655068589/

Hackers have broken news……

People aligned with extremist websites have started to feel the repercussions since a major hack revealed their identities. On the other side, for those who work against extremism and hate groups, the data dump is a boon. The information was published by Anonymous, a hacking group, after an attack on Epik, an internet services company used heavily by the far right, the Washington Post reports. In a filing about the breach with the government of Maine, Epik said the financial and account security information of 110,000 people was exposed. A spokesperson said the hack was “an egregious violation against our users.”

A researcher with the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism said it usually takes much time to learn about far-right sites and the names behind them, as well as where the money comes from that keeps them going. But the Epik reveal “is like somebody has just handed you all the detective work,” Heidi Beirich said, adding “as the data is analyzed and looked at more deeply, we’re going to see this ecosystem in a way that was simply not possible before.” The internet services company has been “at the center of so many of the extremist websites and organizations that people like me study,” Beirich said.

Epik has served QAnon theorists, Proud Boys, and other groups that supported the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, per the Post. Sites kicked off mainstream platforms have found a home at Epik, per TechCrunch, as has One America News. An Epik spokesman said the company “offers its services to everyone” and has hosted hundreds of thousands of domains, some of which are bound to be offensive. Still, right-wing domains account for less than 1% of the company’s users, the spokesperson said. Epik says it does not censor users.

The users whose names were uncovered in the Anonymous data dump are starting to feel consequences. Joshua Alayon, a Florida real estate agent, lost his job because invoices released indicated he had paid for domain names such as racisminc.com, whitesencyclopedia.com, christiansagainstisrael.com, and theholocaustisfake.com. The owner of the brokerage where Alayon worked said he doesn’t want “to be involved with anyone with thoughts or motives like that.” A co-founder of Anonymous said hackers acted because Epik takes in extremists. “Everyone is tired of hate,” Aubrey “Kirtaner” Cottle said. “There hasn’t been enough pushback.”

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Insurrection Update #15

A continuing series on the aftermath of the 06 January insurrection by Trump supporters.

First there has been actions taken on police officers that were part of the insurrection….

The US Capitol Police said Saturday it has recommended disciplinary action in six cases after an internal review of officer behavior stemming from the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol. The department’s Office of Professional Responsibility opened 38 internal investigations and was able to identify 26 of the officers involved, the police said in a statement. It said in 20 of the cases, no wrongdoing was found. However, the police said “violations were sustained and disciplinary action was recommended” for six of the cases — including three for “conduct unbecoming,” one for failure to comply with directions, one for “improper remarks” and one for “improper dissemination of information,” per the AP.

It was unclear in the statement whether a case was an individual officer or if an officer could be cited in more than one case. Names of the officers involved and details about the behavior or actions that led to the alleged violations were not made public. The statement also said the US attorney’s office did not find sufficient evidence that any of the officers committed a crime. More than 600 people face charges in the Jan. 6 attack, in which a mob loyal to then-President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, battled police and tried to stop the certification of the election victory for President Joe Biden. The statement said an internal review of one other case is pending of an official accused of “unsatisfactory performance and conduct unbecoming.” It said that internal investigation started after a criminal investigation, and no charges were filed.

Five people died in the Capitol attack and its aftermath, including Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police. A police officer who battled the mob died later, and several officers later took their own lives. This week, the USCP provided the information to the Justice Department as part of its ongoing prosecution of those involved in the Jan. 6 attack. The police opened the internal investigation in February, and announced at the time it was suspending six officers with pay. Whether they were among those recommended for discipline was unclear in the statement. The department said the six cases “should not diminish the heroic efforts” of the Capitol Police on Jan. 6

Those that committed a wide array of crimes (allegedly) continue to whine about their ordeal…..this one is whining about his ankle bracelet….

A man accused of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 is asking a judge to remove his ankle monitor because it’s noisy, embarrassing, and interfering with his business. Gabriel Garcia, a former GOP candidate who oversees 14 employees at Supreme Aluminum Florida, a Miami-based business he founded in 2017, has made numerous requests to remove the ankle monitor and a 10pm-to-6am curfew since he was arrested Jan. 19 on charges of civil disorder, entering a restricted building, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, per the Washington Post and Business Insider.

A court removed only the curfew after Garcia said in May that he wanted to operate his business 24 hours a day to help pay for legal fees, per the Post. In a new filing, his lawyers say the ankle monitor “has randomly started beeping loudly around potential clients, immediately followed by an embarrassing phone call from pretrial services asking for his exact location.” They also claim the monitor is a safety hazard that catches on the rungs of ladders. “One time, he almost fell off the ladder” as a result, they add. Prosecutors filed a Wednesday motion to deny the request, which awaits a judge’s ruling, arguing there’s been no meaningful change to the circumstances that led to the original court order.

Prosecutors say Garcia filmed himself in a confrontation with Capitol Police officers inside the Capitol building on Jan. 6. “We just went ahead and stormed the Capitol. It’s about to get ugly,” he allegedly said in a live video shared on Facebook. He also allegedly urged members of the crowd to storm a line of officers who were trying to block the mob from advancing and yelled “Free Enrique,” apparently referring to Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who’d been arrested days previously. Prosecutors believe Garcia, a former US Army captain, is a member of the far-right Proud Boys group and say he participated in at least one other “hostile demonstration” in Washington, DC, before Jan. 6.

Poor little piglet!

Here is an idea for this slug…..maybe he would not have to indulge the courts if he had not decided to participate in the insurrection.

Just a thought.

The there is the guy that claims his signature was forged on his court documents….

A Capitol rioter who was sentenced to prison in July is now claiming, through his new attorney, that his signature was forged on a plea agreement.

Paul Hodgkins, a crane operator from Florida, is attempting to take back his guilty plea, arguing that his previous attorney — Patrick LeDuc — bullied him into accepting it.

During a hearing Wednesday, Hodgkins’ new attorney — Carolyn Stewart — claimed a handwriting expert will testify that someone forged her client’s signature on the plea agreement. Hodgkins says he “can’t remember what he signed and wouldn’t have signed this version,” according to reports.

https://www.rawstory.com/paul-hodgkins-guilty-plea/

It is far from over….the actions of 06 January were just the opening salvo of the coup attempt…..

The New York Times, conservative National Review writer Kevin Williamson outlined how Republicans are still trying to execute former President Donald Trump’s coup attempt — and how the Capitol attack on January 6 was only the beginning of the effort.

“As the Republican Party tries to make up its mind between wishing away the events of Jan. 6 or celebrating them, one thing should be clear to conservatives estranged from the party: We can’t go home again,” wrote Williamson. “The attempted coup’s foot soldiers have dug themselves in at state legislatures. For example, last week in Florida State Representative Anthony Sabatini introduced a draft of legislation that would require an audit of the 2020 general election in the state’s largest (typically Democratic-heavy) counties, suggesting without basis that it may show that these areas cheated to inflate Joe Biden’s vote count.”

Meanwhile, noted Williamson, there has been a heavy effort from the GOP to downplay or even valorize the Capitol riot itself.

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-capitol-riot-2654971440/

This saga continues and the insurrection is still at a boiling point.

Watch this Blog!

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“lego ergo scribo”

Going Public

Closing Thought–10Sep21

As the Right attempts to turn a protester shot during the violent attack on the symbols of this country….something I tried to explain …….https://lobotero.com/2021/08/18/right-searches-for-a-martyr/

Now the cop that shot this slag is going public to answer to all the crap spread by Right wing news….

Now that he has been officially cleared by the Capitol Police, the officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot wants the public to hear his side of the story. The officer, who has been denounced by Trump supporters and the former president himself, will reveal his identity in an interview with NBC News’ Lester Holt at 6pm Eastern on Thursday, reports CNBC. “The officer will share his perspective on the events of that day, including the aftermath of the deadly insurrection and the threats he has received,” NBC said. He will also discuss his exoneration by the Capitol force’s internal review.

The officer—who shot the 35-year-old Babbitt as she tried to climb through a broken part of a door to an area leading to the House chamber—was also cleared of wrongdoing by federal prosecutors. In a Fox interview last month, Trump described Babbitt as an “innocent, wonderful, incredible woman.” He also described the events of Jan. 6, in which around 150 officers were injured, as “a lovefest between the Capitol Police and the people who walked down to the Capitol” and claimed to have heard that the officer was part of a high-ranking Democrat’s security detail, per Vox.

The officer’s lawyer, Mark Schamel, said Monday that exonerating the officer was “the only correct conclusion.” “The bravery shown by the Lieutenant in organizing and coordinating the defense of the House and its members and staff was nothing short of heroic,” Schamel said in a statement, per NBC. “The Lieutenant’s conduct saved lives and helped to end the violent insurrection.” He also said his client had been forced from his home by “many credible death threats.”

Personally I think this person, the cop, has done nothing wrong in the execution of his mandate.

On a side note….would things have been different if the insurrectionists had been black/brown?

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Insurrection Update #14

My continuing series keeping watch over the consequences of the 06 January insurrection…..my thought is make them ALL pay for their failed attempt to take over the government.

First the anti-vaxxer lawyer that is defending some of the insurrectionists……

A new Justice Department court filing says John Pierce, the anti-vaxx lawyer representing 17 of the Jan. 6 defendants, “is reportedly ill with COVID-19, on a ventilator, and unresponsive….” bringing his cases to a halt. There’s a bit a of snag, however, with attorney Pierce’s proposed replacement, as described in footnote two: “It is unclear if and when Mr. Marshall [the attorney’s replacement] will be able to obtain a bar license, given that Mr. Marshall currently faces felony criminal charges in two cases…”

counterpunch.org)

The ‘horned warrior’ of QAnon has lost his bid to try and convince the courts that he is looney tunes….

An Arizona man who sported face paint, no shirt, and a furry hat with horns when he joined the mob that stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6 pleaded guilty Friday to a felony charge and wants to be released from jail while he awaits sentencing. Jacob Chansley, who was widely photographed in the Senate chamber with a flagpole topped with a spear, could face 41 to 51 months in prison under sentencing guidelines, a prosecutor said. The man who called himself “QAnon Shaman” has been jailed for nearly eight months since his arrest, the AP reports. Before entering the plea, Chansley was found by a DC judge to be mentally competent after having been transferred to a Colorado facility for a mental health evaluation.

His lawyer Albert Watkins said that the solitary confinement that Chansley faced for most of his time in jail has had an adverse effect on his mental health and that his time in Colorado helped him regain his sharpness. “I am very appreciative for the court’s willingness to have my mental vulnerabilities examined,” Chansley said before pleading guilty to a charge of obstructing an official proceeding. US District Judge Royce Lamberth is considering Chansley’s request to remain free until sentencing on Nov. 17. Chansley was among the first wave of rioters to force its way into the Capitol. Photos of him, with his face painted like the American flag, wearing a bear skin head dress, and looking as if he were howling, were among the first striking images to emerge from the riot.

The first guilty verdict for the insurrectionists…..

Paul Hodgkins became the first Jan. 6 defendant to plead guilty to a felony. Now he wants to take it back. In court filings Thursday, Hodgkins’ new attorney Carolyn Stewart said that Hodgkins was rushed into taking a plea deal, which led to an eight-month prison sentence. She alleged that Hodgkins’ former attorney, Patrick Leduc, inaccurately told Hodgkins that all of his charges were felonies and, by pleading guilty, he was unlikely to end up in prison. “One might wonder whose team Mr. Hodgkins’ former attorney was on,” she wrote. Leduc didn’t respond to The Washington Post’s requests for comment, but in emails attached to the court filing, he insisted Hodgkins got the best deal. “My strategy paid off to Paul’s benefit,” he told Stewart. “No other Federal defendant who is pleading to a felony will get a sentence better than Paul.”

Hodgkins is seeking to appeal his sentence, even though the deadline for such a request has passed. He’s the only Capitol rioter with a felony charge sentenced to prison to date.

(dailybeast.com)

Here is one of my favorite reports….the US is picking on the insurrectionists….they want everyone to stop using the insurrection….and yet the idiots perform like this in court….

Accused Capitol insurrectionist Brandon Fellows, who was recently sent back to jail after leaving a probation officer an obscene voicemail, asked a federal judge on Tuesday to allow him to represent himself.

During a status hearing in his case, Fellows reportedly read a nine-minute statement, saying he’s been studying at the prison law library for two weeks and has made a “huge and life-altering decision,” according to a report from WUSA9’s Jordan Fischer.

“Your honor, you were spot on when you said last hearing that I was impulsive. But now that I have studied self-representation, it is what I want,” Fellows told the court, citing late Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun, who once wrote: “If there is any truth to the old proverb ‘one who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client,’ the Court by its opinion today now bestows a constitutional right on one to make a fool of himself.”

“Although, as Justice Blackmun says, I may be a fool to represent myself, I am nowhere near as big a fool as Joe Biden,” Fellows told the court.

https://www.rawstory.com/capitol-rioter-brandon-fellows/

Really?

You idiot bastards tried to storm the Capitol and take prisoners….and now your feelings are butt hurt because you got caught through your own stupidity.

I for one refuse to let this failed coup slip from my mind and hopefully from others as well…..and I have NO sympathy for idiots that cannot stand the rule of law.

Finally those bombs placed around DC the day before the breach and the FBI is asking for the help of the public…..

The FBI has released new video footage of a suspect accused of planting two pipe bombs near the Republican National Committee and Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington, DC, the night before the US Capitol riot.

The new information includes a virtual map that highlights the route the suspect walked while placing the two bombs between 7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. on January 5, the night before the insurrection. Since then, the FBI has been unsuccessful in identifying the individual, despite a $100,000 reward being offered by the agency and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The video footage released Wednesday shows the suspect sitting on the bench near the DNC, in the area where the pipe bomb was later placed, according to the FBI.
“Reviews of the suspect’s behavior in video footage and interviews with residents in the Capitol Hill neighborhood have led the FBI to believe the suspect is not from the area,” according to a news release from the FBI Washington Field Office.
 
Watch the footage and help if you can…..
 
Watch This Blog!
 
I Read, I Write, You Know
 
“lego ergo scribo”

Closing Thought–07Sep21

How many times have you heard or read about a traffic stop involving a black person has gone wrong with death or injuries to the suspected perpetrator?

Too many to count?

Here is a report that illustrates that there are two separate responses by the police to a suspected perp……

Police in Burlington, Vermont, are searching for 33-year-old Matthew Kaigle, who is wanted for assaulting a traffic guard and evading police. According to MyNBC-5, he was stopped shortly after the assault, but was allowed to drive away without ever getting out of his car.

“Kaigle refused to exit his vehicle after being told multiple times he was under arrest,” a police report read. “Officers did not pursue Kaigle due to his unpredictable and violent history.”

Kaigle has a long history of encounters with police. He has a number of convictions including felony charges, and multiple offenses for violating court orders or parole. He was also listed by police as threatening another person with a sledgehammer in July.

Kaigle is also accused of punching and kicking a man several times, leaving him unconscious in Battery Park. After his arrest, police began investigating the incident as a hate crime.

https://www.rawstory.com/cops-pull-over-white-suspect-but-allow-him-to-drive-away-because-of-his-unpredictable-and-violent-history/

Really?

You want proof there are 2 standards for justice in this country….look NO further than this incident.

This person was known to be a violent person and yet he gets a pass…..and allowed to drive away.

If this person had been black or brown he would either be tasered into submission or worse shoot multiple times for the police feared for their safety…..

Two separate policing policies……

When will the people start caring about this division in justice and policies?

Turn The Page!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Trial Of The Chicago Seven

NOTE:  This will be my only post today for Hurricane Ida is heading my way and I need to batten down the hatches and move stuff around to keep it from flying around….so my time will better spent doing precautionary work.

This is a seldom review by me…..this film interest me for I was around for the real trial….but before I go into the film maybe a little history for those that were not around for the actual event.

The film did do one thing….it illustrated what a clown show it was with the old fart Judge Hoffman (which illustrates why judges should be forced to retire at age 65).

The trial was held to punish the leaders of the protests of 1968 at the Democratic convention in Chicago.

The Chicago Seven (originally eight) were political radicals accused of conspiring to incite the riots that occurred at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During the five-month trial, the prosecution stressed the defendants’ provocative rhetoric and subversive intentions, while the defense attributed the violence to official overreaction. The case drew national attention for the artists and activists that testified as witnesses, as well as defendant Bobby Seale’s actions, which earned him four years in prison for contempt of court. In February 1970, five of the seven were found guilty, but an appeals court overturned the convictions in 1972.

There were originally eight defendants: David Dellinger, a pacifist and chairman of the National Mobilization against the War; Tom Hayden and Rennie Davis, leaders of the Students for a Democratic Society, Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin, leaders of theYouth International Party John Froines and Lee Weiner, local Chicago organizers; and Bobby Seale, cofounder of the Black Panther Party.

https://www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/chicago-seven-1

Now that the history lesson is over…I will move on the the film…..

Netflix’s portrayal of the trial directed by Andrew Sorkin…..the film had an excellent cast…..the major characters of the trial……

If one watches this with the mindset of entertainment then it is excellent….but if one is looking for historic accuracy then it is lacking.

As someone who lived through those turbulent days I was disappointed in the film all together.

Sorkin seeks to tame these radicals, and the anti-imperialist, anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and revolutionary politics they represented (not, of course, without differences among them) by recasting them as boosters for liberal reform. The result is not only an inaccurate rendering of the group’s political visions but a tone-deaf affirmation of the American state, and specifically law enforcement, as fundamentally virtuous.

Since I am not the best reviewer on the web….I will let others give you the review this film deserves…..

https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/chicago-7-trial-film/

https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/aaron-sorkins-inane-history-lesson/

All in all the film was well acted but the character study it portrayed failed.

I recommend this film for entertainment reasons…..if you want historic accuracy then I would, if I were you, pass.

On a side note–I would like to see the same dogged determinism by the government when the leaders of this most recent insurrection against the government when they go to trial and the same sensationalism by the media as well during the trial.

Turn The Page!

To close out the day…..as with my tradition “Trying To Reason With The Hurricane Season by Jimmy Buffet……