Federal grand jury indicts Jared Lee Loughner

[cynatnite]

Source: Washington Post

A federal grand jury in Arizona has indicted accused Tucson gunman Jared Lee Loughner on 49 counts in the January rampage that wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 12 others and left six dead, including a chief federal district judge.

Employing a novel legal argument, the superseding indictment adds 46 additional federal charges to the case against Loughner on the theory that the crime at the Safeway where Giffords was meeting with constituents occurred on protected federal ground, as if it happened inside Congress.

Loughner was initially indicted in Phoenix on three federal counts of attempted murder against the Democratic congresswoman and two of her aides, all of whom were considered federal officials who were performing federal duties when they were shot.

The new indictment adds charges for the killing and wounding of victims who are not federal employees. It also adds charges for attendees at the event who were not injured.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/04/AR2011030403727.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert

[Taverner]

1. I am glad his name is fading into obscurity

When I first saw this I thought "Jared who???"

[nyy1998]

3. Actually I was thinking that we haven't heard anything about this case in awhile.

In fact wasn't the last update we've heard on Gabby like a couple of weeks ago?

[udbcrzy2]

2. No opportunity for the state to prosecute him?

I don't really like that. If the fed doesn't find him guilty of death penalty, they have just screwed the state from doing so. This guy needs a death warrant.

[Maine_Nurse]

4. Yeah, they should drop the charges for everyone except the...

federal employees. That way if they screw up the case, the state can still prosecute for the other charges.

[Stuckinthebush]

5. Why death?

That is way too easy for him. Also, that is expensive.

A life time in a federal prison is much more suitable. Perhaps in time he can learn to do some good in life - perhaps. If he is killed then he gets an easy out.