No State Charges Against Tucson Shooting Suspect — For Now

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

TUCSON — Jared L. Loughner will not face state murder charges in the Tucson shooting spree that left 6 dead and 13 injured until after the federal government finishes its trial against him, the authorities said Friday.

In a joint statement, the United States attorney, Dennis K. Burke, and the Pima County attorney, Barbara LaWall, agreed that the federal case against Mr. Loughner would proceed first.

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Mary Sue Feldmeier, an assistant United States attorney, wrote in a letter filed Thursday in Federal District Court in Phoenix that at trial the government intended to introduce documents found in Mr. Loughner’s home that contain “handwritten references to the member of Congress the defendant is accused of attempting to assassinate, as well as references to a gun and bullets.”

After the shooting, investigators found an envelope at Mr. Loughner’s home containing such handwritten statements as “I planned ahead,” “My assassination” and the name “Giffords,” according to a criminal complaint. Prosecutors are also reviewing several notebooks found in the home that Mr. Loughner shared with his parents on the outskirts of Tucson, according to Ms. Feldmeier’s letter.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/05/us/05loughner.html?hp

[hlthe2b]

1. Nothing unusual about this.... n/t

[RamboLiberal]

2. True - wonder though what is in those notebooks

Probably have to wait till trial to find out.

[Kennah]

3. Tim McVeigh wasn't charged under state law ...

... and he was only charged and convicted of murdering eight federal law enforcement officers. The other 160 murders weren't prosecuted.

I know, I know. Trials cost money.

[hlthe2b]

4. Frankly, states usually let the Feds have it...

unless they are a big death penalty state and the Feds fail to seek the DP... It is sad for the families of victims for which the assailant will never be charged.. but...... Probably better the states focus on other unsolved crimes than duplicate costly trials.

[Blue_Tires]

8. That's what happened with the John Allen Muhammad case

They couldn't gift it to the Virginia prosecutors fast enough...

[groundloop]

5. As long as he's put away for a long long time where he can't harm others...

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. The Onion had a piece on him that said

he broke no Arizona laws a while back.

[hlthe2b]

9. I guess if he'd only shot illegal Mexican immigrants...

that might be closer to the truth than even the Onion would want to recognize. Towit, I note no MSM coverage of the woman charged with murdering the young girl while heaping her form of "vigilante" militia justice in Southern Arizona...

[Recursion]

7. Makes sense

See what the outcome is and evaluate if there needs to be a state trial after that. If he gets the death penalty there's no sense spending money and dragging the survivors through another trial.

EDIT: just checked if he's eligible for the death penalty, and yes, 18 U.S.C. 1114 provides it for murder of a Federal judge.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

10. Honest question here

Is there a time-limit under "fair and speedy trial" rules that require state/fed to file charges?

From the context of the article it seems not but why not?

[M155Y_A1CH]

11. No

There is no statute of limitations for murder.