Legal experts question US Attorney's decision not to prosecute Obama 'assassination plot'

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: The Raw Story

Interviews with numerous legal experts suggest that Colorado US Attorney Troy Eid misled reporters and diverged from state law when declining to prosecute any of the three men arrested in Denver for threatening to assassinate Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Eid, who was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2006, declined to prosecute the three men on charges of threatening to assassinate Barack Obama during his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, saying that the suspects were "just a bunch of meth heads" and their words failed to meet the legal standard for "true threat."

"When you talk about threatening presidential candidates, there's a legal standard you got to meet," Eid told reporters. "It's got to be a credible threat as defined by the law. And that means that someone has a way to carry it out. And at this time we don't have sufficient evidence that there was a true threat."

He added, "They didn't reveal a plan" and characterized the alleged threats and assassination plot as merely "the racist rantings of drug users" and "one meth head talking to another about life."

Read more: http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Legal_experts_question_Co...

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Below: Troy Eid.

[NeoConsSuck]

1. There was a Portland guy

sitting drunk on a barstool, and mentioned a 'burning bush'. He was sentenced to four years in prison, although he obviously couldn't carry out any threat.

So who's blowing smoke up who's ass? The Portland legal system or this DA?

[whosinpower]

2. wow

And if those guys had Arab names???!!???

Methinks the result would not be the same.

[Frisbee]

7. Or if it had been McPOW...

instead of Barack.

[thecrow]

22. Then they would be twisted into being "associate terrorists friends"

....of Obama.

Crazy world right now.

[Hawkeye-X]

3. I hope he's one of the attorneys that'll be summarily dismissed, sued, and disbarred.

Shortly after Obama is inaugurated.

Hawkeye-X

[TomInTib]

4. Tell it to the Miami 7.

And that Eid fuck just reinforces my theory about most of these asshats.

Creepy little shit who used to get pushed around, a lot.

[Demeter]

5. Let's Apply That Logic to Gitmo's Detainees, Shall We?

[glitch]

6. Appointed by George Bush. Look at that shiteater grin. Can't wait until President Obama

fires and maybe even takes legal action against him, if that is at all possible.
It should be.

[kestrel91316]

8. Mr. Eid is just following the IOKIYAR Rule.

And since he is an Arab-American, I find his membership in the Federalist Society (and presumably the Republican Party) to be extremely disturbing.

[CitizenPatriot]

9. they had a plan, they had weapons, and if they were meth heads

then they were not thinking rationally and could have/would have made the attempt.

I think his logic is seriously flawed.

It's like saying a drunk driver isn't a threat because he's drunk, so he can't/won't carry out his plan to harm someone.

WTF?

And my 12 yer old nephew just got charged with "terrorism" because he threw a bottle rocket into an empty, desolate road while camping. No, not smart and not a good thing to do...but gee, the standards seem a wee bit off here.

[bamacrat]

10. Because they dont want to discourage dumbfucks from being dumbfucks

i live in Alabama so I have heard many dumbfuck rednecks who threaten Obama if he is elected. I tell them how stupid they are and that wishing harm on anyone you disagree with is unamerican. But that doesnt matter, they continue with the Faux news "facts" and their Muslim this and that crap when I say well on January 20th expect to get a visit from the secret service because I will report everyone I hear saying something like this.

[fascisthunter]

11. unbelievably disgusting

the GOP loves to talk about hate... well here's your hate, because I gaurentee you, that if it were McCain threatened like this, those fuckers would be in GITMO.

[russspeakeasy]

12. Jesus H Christ !!

And why don't I vote republican???????????????

[rsweets]

13. I would hope the FBI is camped out on their porches

I don't like the smell of this one ...
I'm might be talking with my tin foil hat on but....

You need a fall guy for an assassination right??

Lone gunman and all that?

Yeah I know, I am talking through my tin foil hat.
Sorry

Besides their just a couple of harmless methheads,
and ya' know ... methheads will be methheads.

[zeemike]

16. Never forget

That just because you are paranoid does not mean that they are not out to get you.
Nut you are right about the patsy thing...And they often sheep dip there intended patsy.

[KeepItReal]

14. Thread: FBI Wanted Obama Plotters Charged, But A Rove Appointee Said No

Link to previous discussion:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[KeepItReal]

15. "physical evidence initially "sounded ominous""

"Physical evidence "tools of the drug trade?"

In downplaying the threat, the US Attorney's spokesman also characterized the physical evidence recovered from the suspects "including, along with methamphetamine, two high-powered rifles with scopes (one threaded with a silencer), 85 rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, wigs, two walkie-talkies, three fake IDs, tactical pants and camouflage gear" as merely "tools of the drug trade." (FBI special agent and spokeswoman Kathy Wright admitted to RAW STORY that this physical evidence initially "sounded ominous," which is what compelled the FBI to obtain a warrant for search and seizure; yet contrary to reports in alternative media and the blogosphere, the FBI never sought to "charge" any of the suspects for threatening or plotting against Obama.) The implication was that all of these men were, at once, "just a bunch of meth heads" incapable of following through with any plan yet also hardened drug dealers, whose ownership of these items would be commonplace."

[zeemike]

17. What bullshit

Tools of the drug trade?
High powered rifles with scopes. bulletproof vest Camouflage and a silencer ready weapon?
that is not the tools of a drug trade but of an assassin.

[Sick Of Their Lies]

18. Did Dictator For Life Bush order this?

Wonder why?
Anyway we all know that Dictator For Life Bush will never leave.
Heck even if McCain were to win he won't give up his power.

[The Backlash Cometh]

19. Guys, I think the problem is that the FBI knows that "angry white men"

talk like this all the time, launching death threats to blow off steam. If they had to follow up every time someone reported them, they wouldn't have time to do anything else. However, if those same "angry white men" heard a member of a minority say the same thing, but directed to them, they would have him arrested in a heartbeat.

[chalky]

21. The FBI is not the problem here.

In fact, enough flags were raised by these "angry white men" that the FBI thought more serious charges should be filed. It was Mr. Rove-Appointee-Asshole Eid who dismissed the plot as if it were some Halloween prank.

[autorank]

20. The lawless society

So USA Eid would have us believe that meth heads never kill anybody.

Does that make him a crack head?

[Duncan]

23. WTF!

This can't just end here. Can it? This is crazy.

These guys had high powered rifles with scopes and silencers. They had discussed and planned assinating Obama with a such a weapon. What does it matter if they smoked meth!?!?