Jury acquits two men, deadlocks on two others in alleged plot to kidnap Michigan governor

[Nevilledog]

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https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/04/08/michigan-whitmer-verdict-governor/

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https://archive.ph/qXlkX

A federal jury acquitted two men of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and deadlocked on the case against two others, apparently agreeing to some degree with defense claims that FBI agents entrapped the men in a violent plot shortly before the 2020 election.

The trial in Grand Rapids, Mich. has been closely watched as a test of the U.S. government’s ramped-up efforts to combat domestic terrorism, and the verdict is a partial defeat for the Justice Department. The men’s arrest in October 2020 raised alarms about the possibility of politically motivated violence as the nation was increasingly divided over a bitterly contested presidential race.

The jury, which began deliberating Monday, told the judge in a note Friday that they had reached a verdict on some of the charges, and could not agree on others. The judge instructed them to deliver the partial verdict, which acquitted Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta while deadlocking on the charges against Adam Fox and Barry Croft, Jr.

A mistrial was declared for Fox and Croft, and federal authorities said they plan to go to trial a second time. The case marks one of the rare instances in which an entrapment defense was even partly successful in a terrorism case.

*snip*

[Marius25]

1. How long until they try it again?

This country is a freakin joke.

[Calista241]

3. for two of them, they can't be tried again.

I would guess they'll have to have a long deep think about it. Any prosecution will have to address why two of the defendants were found not guilty.

[WarGamer]

5. article said FBI entrapment is a possibility

[Marius25]

7. I meant how long until they try to kidnap her again.

[Emile]

15. +1 Spot On!

[WarGamer]

2. The Jury must have found that it was "all talk" and they had no reasonable plan to commit the crime?

Article claims Jury may have bought the allegation of "FBI entrapment"

[Tickle]

13. I heard that nt

[Xoan]

4. sick!

[MagickMuffin]

6. Dear Gov. Whitmer please increase your security detail as these terrorists will try again

Nothing deterring the terrorists from trying again.

[bahboo]

8. very shallow gene pool these troglodytes emerged from....

[Takket]

9. this verdict is a disgrace to the nation. our criminal justice system is beyond repair

i mean, for god's sake, one of the defendants was found not guilty of "Possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle"

so.................. the Feds have the gun... it is not registered.......... did the jury think the Feds just willed it into existence through magic or something????????????

I can't even.............. this is absolutely terrible. This was an open and shut case. they had videos, phone calls, an FBI informant, and one of their own co-conspirators flipped and testified against them!!!!!!!!!!! I guess because they aren't black, no harm, no foul. I cannot even believe this..........

[rockfordfile]

10. I agree. All of them should've been given the death penalty.

[MichMan]

12. Do you think the jurors would have reached a different verdict then?

Acquitted them under these charges, but would have found them guilty under a death penalty scenario?

[llmart]

11. I agree with you.

Unbelievable. This will only embolden these creeps and their cohorts to try something else.

Our justice system is anything but just.

[Boomerproud]

14. Major fail.

Hope. Governor Whitmer has trustworthy protection.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

16. Magats on the jury? They are incapable of being objective.

They'd never vote to convict a fellow Magat, no matter how much evidence there is that proves the Magat is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

[MichMan]

17. They still had to spend 18 months in jail awaiting trial before the acquittal

[DVRacer]

18. And with the recent 6-3 Court decision

Will likely sue for malicious prosecution and stand a good chance at collecting a big check. They will be the Millionaire Militia soon and that is what is scary.

[Kingofalldems]

19. Looks like the MAGAts are celebrating.

Weren't there state charges too?