The National Lawyers Guild released a pretty incredible statement about this trial. They basically were not allowed to mount a defense, in blatant violation of their constitutional rights.
> Alarmingly, this mistrial order is just the latest example of attacks on the Prairieland Defendants’ constitutional rights to access to counsel, a fair and impartial jury, an adequate defense, a public trial, and more. Judge Pittman has made highly unusual moves that suppress defense teams and which federal lawyers have not seen during their entire careers:
[...]
> NLG remains extremely concerned about these cases. Defendants’ First Amendment rights to free expression, assembly, and association; their Sixth Amendment rights to counsel; their Fifth Amendment rights to a public trial; and their Second Amendment rights to bear arms are under attack in North Texas. If unchecked and ignored, this case and the judicial decisions coming from it will set a very dark precedent for the rest of the country.
Note that Song was a firearms instructor and a United States Marine Corps Veteran .. I gather the State really wanted to send a message with the 100 year sentence handed down to him. But on another note, he did brandish a rifle and shoot a police officer, anyone could expect the worst for that. I guess they can appeal ?
> Eight members of a North Texas Antifa terror cell received historic federal sentences on Tuesday, with prison terms ranging from 30 years to life in prison for their roles in the shooting ambush on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
Yeah, I had no idea until recently. He's basically Mr Anti Anti Fascist, has been telling the White House to go after them.
> Ngo lobbied the administration to name “antifa” a foreign terrorist organization — on par with al Qeada or ISIS — at a White House event in the fall.
The other side said the same thing when the J6 rioters were sentenced. Likewise, these people will also get pardoned in a couple of years, so it's mostly symbolic.
"Family members and supporters ... called the punishment cruel, callous and starkly disproportionate to the defendants’ actions." The defendants were convicted "on a variety of federal charges, including riot, material support for terrorists, attempted murder, possession and conspiracy to use explosives, and conspiracy to conceal documents."
What is a proportionate sentence for convictions like these? In other words, is there a norm when looking at similar convictions?
I'm reading sentencing guidelines for material support of terrorism.[0] It looks like they normally max out at 15 years (20 if in support of certain orgs). I saw somewhere that a study of 261 cases found an average sentence of 13 years. So, ceteris peribus, these do seem extremely high.
Um what? The activity in the body aligns with the title.
Even the part that sounds the worst if you take it out of context, was not a murder or even failed attempted murder, but the successful prevention of a murder.
Accessory to assault on a police officer? What luck! That happens to be exactly the crime our beloved president pardoned a bunch of people for recently.
> You agree with essentially a life sentence for moving pamphlets around?
That was the question you were asked. It was a short comment with very few big words. Why are you talking about whether it’s a crime? Why the rank dishonesty?
Is it too hard a question for you to figure out how to answer?
The National Lawyers Guild released a pretty incredible statement about this trial. They basically were not allowed to mount a defense, in blatant violation of their constitutional rights.
> Alarmingly, this mistrial order is just the latest example of attacks on the Prairieland Defendants’ constitutional rights to access to counsel, a fair and impartial jury, an adequate defense, a public trial, and more. Judge Pittman has made highly unusual moves that suppress defense teams and which federal lawyers have not seen during their entire careers:
[...]
> NLG remains extremely concerned about these cases. Defendants’ First Amendment rights to free expression, assembly, and association; their Sixth Amendment rights to counsel; their Fifth Amendment rights to a public trial; and their Second Amendment rights to bear arms are under attack in North Texas. If unchecked and ignored, this case and the judicial decisions coming from it will set a very dark precedent for the rest of the country.
https://www.nlg.org/all-eyes-on-north-texas/
Note that Song was a firearms instructor and a United States Marine Corps Veteran .. I gather the State really wanted to send a message with the 100 year sentence handed down to him. But on another note, he did brandish a rifle and shoot a police officer, anyone could expect the worst for that. I guess they can appeal ?
> Eight members of a North Texas Antifa terror cell received historic federal sentences on Tuesday, with prison terms ranging from 30 years to life in prison for their roles in the shooting ambush on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility.
https://www.ngocomment.com/p/breaking-exclusive-north-texas-...
Andy Ngo is an awful person, surely there’s a better source
Yeah, I had no idea until recently. He's basically Mr Anti Anti Fascist, has been telling the White House to go after them.
> Ngo lobbied the administration to name “antifa” a foreign terrorist organization — on par with al Qeada or ISIS — at a White House event in the fall.
https://bsky.app/profile/hannahgais.bsky.social/post/3moyib6...
Used to think he was a kind of harmless idiot, but this is incredibly actively bad & toxic a person.
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This is absolutely outrageous. A complete mockery of the criminal justice system and especially of Texas.
Hardly seems a mockery of Texas. This is pretty on brand for the kind of state and the kind of people that keep re-electing Paxton.
The other side said the same thing when the J6 rioters were sentenced. Likewise, these people will also get pardoned in a couple of years, so it's mostly symbolic.
"Family members and supporters ... called the punishment cruel, callous and starkly disproportionate to the defendants’ actions." The defendants were convicted "on a variety of federal charges, including riot, material support for terrorists, attempted murder, possession and conspiracy to use explosives, and conspiracy to conceal documents."
What is a proportionate sentence for convictions like these? In other words, is there a norm when looking at similar convictions?
There's a guy in my town who murdered a teenage girl then cut her up and threw her in a dumpster. He's got less time than these people.
I'm reading sentencing guidelines for material support of terrorism.[0] It looks like they normally max out at 15 years (20 if in support of certain orgs). I saw somewhere that a study of 261 cases found an average sentence of 13 years. So, ceteris peribus, these do seem extremely high.
0. https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R41333
Well one person got 30 years for "concealing documents" -- they moved a box of anarchist zines from their apartment to their car
Headline: "for Common Protest Activity"
Body: "material support for terrorists, attempted murder, possession and conspiracy to use explosives"
Um?
Um what? The activity in the body aligns with the title.
Even the part that sounds the worst if you take it out of context, was not a murder or even failed attempted murder, but the successful prevention of a murder.
I guess these guys think attempted murder and possession of explosives is “common protest activity”?
What about moving a box of zines?
Concealing a document? Conspiracy to conceal a document? What? I need to Google that. Sounds un-constitutional af!
Hiding evidence tends to be bad, even when that evidence wouldn't itself be a problem without a crime for it to be evidence of.
Surely not 30 years bad.
Moved a box of zines to their car
In the context of trying to hide the evidence after a member of their anarchist collective shot a law enforcement officer in the neck...
Accessory to assault on a police officer? What luck! That happens to be exactly the crime our beloved president pardoned a bunch of people for recently.
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You agree with essentially a life sentence for moving pamphlets around? What a vomit-inducing thing to believe.
A jury of their peers found them to be antifa terrorists. And yes, hiding evidence from an official proceeding is a crime in every jx.
> You agree with essentially a life sentence for moving pamphlets around?
That was the question you were asked. It was a short comment with very few big words. Why are you talking about whether it’s a crime? Why the rank dishonesty?
Is it too hard a question for you to figure out how to answer?
Sigh. We'll need to deMAGAfy a whole lot of people someday.
Are you suggesting reeducation camps or something? You sound unhinged.