The threats and other harassing communications against federal court personnel have more than doubled in the past six years, from 592 to 1,278, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Worried federal officials blame disgruntled defendants whose anger is fueled by the Internet; terrorism and gang cases that bring more violent offenders into federal court; frustration at the economic crisis; and the rise of the "sovereign citizen" movement -- a loose collection of tax protesters, white supremacists and others who don't respect federal authority.
Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
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Lambkin
- Warder of the Quatloosian Gibbet
- Posts: 1206
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Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02931.html
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Paladin
Re: Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
Man Charged With Making Online Threats About Officers
Police Say Texas Man Hired NH Man To Post Personal Information
POSTED: 5:22 pm EDT September 17, 2009
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- A Plymouth man is being held on charges out of Texas alleging that he was paid to post police officers' private information online as a form of retaliation.
Investigators said the personal information Joseph Dauben is accused of posting included pictures of the officers and, in at least one case, a copy of an officer's driver's license. They said he also made threatening statements about a detective in Texas.
In a video posted on YouTube, Dauben holds up a copy of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" while calling out a Texas police detective.
"Let me put it very clear to everyone," Dauben said in the video. "This is 'The Art of War.' I will destroy you, John Allen J. Hoskins."
The video was posted Sept. 14 in the hours before Dauben was arrested in Plymouth in connection with previous comments he made on his blogs.
"We were contacted Monday evening around 9 o'clock from some authorities in Texas letting us know this gentleman was in our community," said Plymouth Chief Steven Temperi.
Police in Texas say Dauben was actually hired by Michael Meissner to retaliate against law enforcement on Meissner's behalf. Meissner is a police chief for a small town in Texas who has been under investigation for years. He was recently charged with posing online as a woman to solicit nude photos of teenage boys.
Hoskins, a detective in Combine, Texas, said Meissner paid Dauben at least $200 to post personal information about the investigating officers on the Internet.
"He was basically retaliating not only against myself but other officers from our agency, and he was actually paid to do so," Hoskins said.
In the Sept. 14 video, Dauben said he wanted to make a public statement about what he called rogue law enforcement.
"I will destroy you by using every weapon I have, through my media, my blogs and my newspapers," he said.
One of Dauben's sites says he leads a Young Republicans group in the North Country. New Hampshire Young Republicans confirmed that he has been a volunteer with the organization, but he was suspended because of the charges.
Deaben is originally from Texas and moved to New Hampshire in the spring. Authorities said he could be extradited to Texas soon.
Article w/video http://www.wmur.com/news/20971624/detail.html
Police Say Texas Man Hired NH Man To Post Personal Information
POSTED: 5:22 pm EDT September 17, 2009
PLYMOUTH, N.H. -- A Plymouth man is being held on charges out of Texas alleging that he was paid to post police officers' private information online as a form of retaliation.
Investigators said the personal information Joseph Dauben is accused of posting included pictures of the officers and, in at least one case, a copy of an officer's driver's license. They said he also made threatening statements about a detective in Texas.
In a video posted on YouTube, Dauben holds up a copy of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" while calling out a Texas police detective.
"Let me put it very clear to everyone," Dauben said in the video. "This is 'The Art of War.' I will destroy you, John Allen J. Hoskins."
The video was posted Sept. 14 in the hours before Dauben was arrested in Plymouth in connection with previous comments he made on his blogs.
"We were contacted Monday evening around 9 o'clock from some authorities in Texas letting us know this gentleman was in our community," said Plymouth Chief Steven Temperi.
Police in Texas say Dauben was actually hired by Michael Meissner to retaliate against law enforcement on Meissner's behalf. Meissner is a police chief for a small town in Texas who has been under investigation for years. He was recently charged with posing online as a woman to solicit nude photos of teenage boys.
Hoskins, a detective in Combine, Texas, said Meissner paid Dauben at least $200 to post personal information about the investigating officers on the Internet.
"He was basically retaliating not only against myself but other officers from our agency, and he was actually paid to do so," Hoskins said.
In the Sept. 14 video, Dauben said he wanted to make a public statement about what he called rogue law enforcement.
"I will destroy you by using every weapon I have, through my media, my blogs and my newspapers," he said.
One of Dauben's sites says he leads a Young Republicans group in the North Country. New Hampshire Young Republicans confirmed that he has been a volunteer with the organization, but he was suspended because of the charges.
Deaben is originally from Texas and moved to New Hampshire in the spring. Authorities said he could be extradited to Texas soon.
Article w/video http://www.wmur.com/news/20971624/detail.html
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Demosthenes
- Grand Exalted Keeper of Esoterica
- Posts: 5773
- Joined: Wed Jan 29, 2003 3:11 pm
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Paladin
Re: Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
Illinois Man Charged in Plot to Bomb Federal Offices
September 24, 2009
Washington D.C. — An Illinois man has been arrested for attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb outside a federal building in the state capital, the Justice Department said on Thursday, a case unrelated to the New York terrorism plot.
Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, and charged with attempted murder of federal officers or employees and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, charges that carry a life sentence.
“Fortunately, a coordinated undercover law enforcement effort was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security David Kris said in a statement.
The criminal complaint said Finton converted to Islam while in prison on other charges. It said he idolized an American who allied with the Taliban, John Walker Lindh, drawing the attention of law enforcement authorities.
After returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia in 2008, Finton met and told an individual, who turned out to be a law enforcement source, that he wanted to fight against Israelis in the Gaza Strip, according to the complaint.
In early 2009, “it appeared that Finton was on the verge of taking action, so it was decided to proactively provide him with an opportunity for action that we controlled, rather than merely hoping to be able to find out and stop him,” according to a government affidavit.
He was eventually introduced to an undercover FBI agent who began working with him to plot an attack, but Finton was repeatedly told he could walk away at any time, according to the Justice Department.
Eventually, Finton picked the federal building in Springfield as the target and on Wednesday he parked a van he believed carried one ton of explosives at the location, the complaint said.
Finton walked away and tried to detonate the bomb with a cell phone call, but instead of setting it off, he was arrested.
The Justice Department said the case was unrelated to another suspected terrorism plot in New York where an Afghan-born man was charged with conspiring to launch a bombing attack in the United States using chemicals that form triacetone triperoxide.
September 24, 2009
Washington D.C. — An Illinois man has been arrested for attempting to detonate a vehicle bomb outside a federal building in the state capital, the Justice Department said on Thursday, a case unrelated to the New York terrorism plot.
Michael Finton, also known as Talib Islam, was arrested in Springfield, Illinois, and charged with attempted murder of federal officers or employees and trying to use a weapon of mass destruction, charges that carry a life sentence.
“Fortunately, a coordinated undercover law enforcement effort was able to thwart his efforts and ensure no one was harmed,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security David Kris said in a statement.
The criminal complaint said Finton converted to Islam while in prison on other charges. It said he idolized an American who allied with the Taliban, John Walker Lindh, drawing the attention of law enforcement authorities.
After returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia in 2008, Finton met and told an individual, who turned out to be a law enforcement source, that he wanted to fight against Israelis in the Gaza Strip, according to the complaint.
In early 2009, “it appeared that Finton was on the verge of taking action, so it was decided to proactively provide him with an opportunity for action that we controlled, rather than merely hoping to be able to find out and stop him,” according to a government affidavit.
He was eventually introduced to an undercover FBI agent who began working with him to plot an attack, but Finton was repeatedly told he could walk away at any time, according to the Justice Department.
Eventually, Finton picked the federal building in Springfield as the target and on Wednesday he parked a van he believed carried one ton of explosives at the location, the complaint said.
Finton walked away and tried to detonate the bomb with a cell phone call, but instead of setting it off, he was arrested.
The Justice Department said the case was unrelated to another suspected terrorism plot in New York where an Afghan-born man was charged with conspiring to launch a bombing attack in the United States using chemicals that form triacetone triperoxide.
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bmielke
Re: Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
To me this kind of sounds like entrapment, I'm unsure if it is, and am not a lawyer, but it just seems wrong. Of course I am glad that he was stopped before he could do anything.Paladin wrote:Illinois Man Charged in Plot to Bomb Federal Offices
In early 2009, “it appeared that Finton was on the verge of taking action, so it was decided to proactively provide him with an opportunity for action that we controlled, rather than merely hoping to be able to find out and stop him,” according to a government affidavit.
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Paladin
Re: Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
ENTRAPMENT - A person is 'entrapped' when he is induced or persuaded by law enforcement officers or their agents to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit.
However, there is no entrapment where a person is ready and willing to break the law and the Government agents merely provide what appears to be a favorable opportunity for the person to commit the crime.
However, there is no entrapment where a person is ready and willing to break the law and the Government agents merely provide what appears to be a favorable opportunity for the person to commit the crime.
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DoingHomework
Re: Threats to Judges, Prosecutors Soaring
While I am glad the governemnt got this guy, I have to agree that the wording of the original release is troubling. "While it appeared he was ready to break the law" ....given favorable ooportunities...Paladin wrote:ENTRAPMENT - A person is 'entrapped' when he is induced or persuaded by law enforcement officers or their agents to commit a crime that he had no previous intent to commit.
However, there is no entrapment where a person is ready and willing to break the law and the Government agents merely provide what appears to be a favorable opportunity for the person to commit the crime.
Does that mean that if a police officers observes me accelerating through 35 mph on the interstate and believes me to be ready to break the speed limit then I am guilty? If he intervenes and takes me to a racetrack where I then go 90 mph does that demonstrate my original intent?
I guess I don't really have an issue with the definition of entrapment given but I would hope that the police/government have to prove the original intent before mentioning the ultimate acts. Because once a jury hears he was caught with explosives any requirement to prove an original intent is meaningless and this becomes hardly distinguishable from entrapment in practice.
From the perspective of a member of the public I am glad they caught this guy. But I certainly see a slippery slope here where the police can tiptoe around entrapment laws and encourage illegal behaviors simply because they say they were conviced there was intent.