Justice Department considering federal charges in Steinle case

[DonViejo]

Source: The Hill




BY AVERY ANAPOL - 12/01/17 09:28 AM EST

The Justice Department is considering federal charges against the undocumented immigrant charged in the death of Kate Steinle.

Jose Ines Garcia Zarate was acquitted by a jury Thursday of murder and manslaughter in the 2015 shooting but was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said Friday on “Fox & Friends” that the department is considering federal charges against Zarate. “We’re looking at every option and we will prosecute this to the fullest extent available under the law because these cases are tragic and entirely preventable,” Sarah Isgur Flores, the DOJ Director of Public Affairs, said.

Flores said that the department is looking at other cases to determine what charges they would pursue, but possibilities include felony reentry and violating supervised release.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/362745-justice-department-considering-federal-charges-in-in-kate-steinle

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Pure fascism. "Entirely preventable"? Yes, if there weren't more

loaded guns left lying around.

[forgotmylogin]

9. Exactly my reaction. "Preventable???"

When has this administration ever sought to curb gun violence?

I'm sure they mean preventable in the context of "IF THE GODLESS LIBRULS WERENT LETTING ALL THE IMMAGRANTS POUR INTO MURICA"

[Watchfoxheadexplodes]

2. Embarrass trump he calls sessions

Omg wish that was case.

[dalton99a]

3. Sessions will pack the jury with MAGA fans from red counties

[BlueIdaho]

4. What the hell happened to

Double jeopardy?

[LeftInTX]

6. It isn't double jeopardy because it is different charges, but

they are trying to make an example of him.

They are also going into the murky area of immigration law.
Generally, deportation is the punishment for immigration law violation.

[christx30]

7. Repeated illegal re entry after deportation

is a felony. He could do two years for that. Re entry after convictions for drug related felonies or crimes against people carries a sentence up to ten years in prison. Did he reenter after his conviction for heroin possession and drug manufacturing?
There are all sorts of ways they can get this guy if they want him. And they seem to really want him.

ETA excerpt from his wiki:

Garcia Zarate arrived in the U.S. sometime before 1991, the year he was convicted of his first drug charge in Arizona. In 1993, he was convicted three times in Washington state for felony heroin possession and manufacturing narcotics. Following another drug conviction and jail term, this time in Oregon, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) deported Garcia Zarate in June 1994. However, Garcia Zarate returned to the U.S. within two years and was convicted again of heroin possession in Washington state. He was deported for the second time in 1997.[16]

The dude seems to really love his drugs.

[BlueIdaho]

8. thanks to both for the background info nt.

[angrychair]

5. Curious

Haven’t been following case, If he had a gun and all, how did he get found not guilty?

[former9thward]

11. The jury was not convinced he shot her intentionally.

[TexasBushwhacker]

12. The bullet bounced off concrete and hit the victim

Even so, the gun was stolen, so I don't know why he wasn't prosecuted for theft too.

[GReedDiamond]

14. The prosecution knew that he did not steal the gun...

...he found it under a bench. The gun was apparently wrapped in a tee shirt.

He picked up the bundled gun and it went off unintentionally.

The bullet hit the pavement, ricocheted and hit the victim by chance.

That was the basic defense.

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. I see. Thanks

[GReedDiamond]

16. You're welcome...

...in my opinion, the prosecution swallowed the shit Trump spewed at his KKKlan rallies and decided to overcharge the defendant, with no evidence to prove anything they actively pitched to the jury during the trial.

The acquitted is, nonetheless, a grade A scumbag, unfortunately.

[Blue_Tires]

10. Where are the federal charges against George Zimmerman?

He got away with murder, too...

[GulfCoast66]

13. Are we Democrats really wanting to defend this POS?

He is a felon that continually reentered the country. He killed a women with a stolen gun. I could give a shit about him.

I have been concerned for a while about our reaction to Trumps racist immigration rhetoric. We want a comprehensive immigration bill which includes a pathway to citizenship, but surely we do not want to be the party of totally open boarders. Because if that is where we are headed we will never win.

We have to be careful not to let Trumps position dictate our positions.

[RhodeIslandOne]

17. If he was a white citizen whose own gun discharged

...ricocheted and hit and killed someone, we’d be told he “suffered enough” and he’d be slapped on the wrist.

FAUX tried to spin this like he shot her point blank and then raped her. Not even close to the facts of the case.

[GulfCoast66]

19. Breaking news...

He was acquitted. So not even a slap on the wrist. Defend this POS if you want. The Democratic Party should not celebrate 5 time unauthorized re-Entry felons who kill people. Not if we ever hope to win elections. Dude should be doing hard time but I respect the jury and trust they saw things I am not aware of.

[RhodeIslandOne]

20. Every other thing you said negates your last line

“Trust the jury”. Uh huh. Doesn’t sound like it.

I’m not defending the “POS”. I believe in fair trials and not inventing media narratives.

[GulfCoast66]

21. Oh I trust the jury

But I fail to see why members of the Democratic Party should be cool with the fact that a felon with a gun who was deported 5 Times was here. I hope he is prosecuted for any other crimes he has committed and if guilty serves his time. Then is deported.

I support a path for citizenship. But not for shits like this.

This is not the hill we democrats want to die defending.

[EL34x4]

18. I don't get it either. There are people celebrating this acquittal as if it is somehow a victory...

...against Trump. If anything, it underscores Trump's argument that sanctuary cities like San Francisco are no-go zones of violence and lawlessness. And Garcia Zarat's attorneys high-fiving each other like they just won the Superbowl was disgusting. At the end of the day, we have a tragic story of a young woman dying in her father's arms, shot dead by a man who should have never been here to find that gun under a park bench in the first place.

And a lot of people are really pissed off.