Schaeffer Cox trial underway in Alaska

[Burnaby49]

Or, as an alternative, Cox could be lying about the airport-cop incident. The ideal lie since there is no way to call him on it yet it has significant implication if believed.

Difficult to call him on it, I agree. It raises the question that if the file does exist why hasn't it been found, because if it does exist it is likely to be with some other "fun" stuff owned by Cox. Also, given that the flight Cox took is a known quantity then working out who was on duty at that time must narrow it down to a handful of people. If it doesn't exist then why not work on that basis? Cox is lying. Like his 3500 militia claim. If it does exist, then leave it to him to prove it.

The problem is that it does narrow down the list. If he were lying, why not choose a time and place where it would be much harder to disprove, e.g. "I was approached by an off-duty officer while at Wal-mart"

You're being too rational. I doubt Cox would think through various scenarios to come up with the least verifiable lie, he makes it up as he goes along. It's a good story and I don't think he would have thought past that to the issue of maximizing the difficulty of tracing the phantom cop. I agree with Kickback that it sounds more impressive to have an on-duty uniform on his side rather than some guy sidling up at the mall.

[Famspear]

According to the Anchorage Daily News, the case went to the jury on Thursday, June 14th.

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/14/2505458/m ... s-cox.html

It is now Friday, June 15th at about 8:09 pm central time (5:09 pm in Anchorage, I believe), and I see no further developments reported yet.

[Demosthenes]

Schaeffer Cox was found guilty on most of the counts against him, including the most serious charge, conspiracy to commit murder.

Co-defendant Coleman Barney was found not guilty of several charges, and jurors were not able to reach decision on the murder-conspiracy charge against him.

The third defendant, Lonnie Vernon, was also found guilty of conspiracy to murder.

All three defendants guilty on Count 1: Conspiracy to possess unregistered silencers and destructive devices.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/06/18/2510097/m ... rylink=cpy

[Lambkin]

Great job by adn.com on the infographic.

[Famspear]

So, apparently, he's lookin' at life in prison plus 85 years, max.

I can't understand it. He wears such a nice cap, you know....

[ArthurWankspittle]

Schaeffer Cox was found guilty on most of the counts against him, including the most serious charge, conspiracy to commit murder.

Co-defendant Coleman Barney was found not guilty of several charges, and jurors were not able to reach decision on the murder-conspiracy charge against him.

The third defendant, Lonnie Vernon, was also found guilty of conspiracy to murder.

All three defendants guilty on Count 1: Conspiracy to possess unregistered silencers and destructive devices.

Read more here: http://www.adn.com/2012/06/18/2510097/m ... rylink=cpy

I'm going to have to re-read a whole lot of this trial because, although Barney comes across the best as the decent family guy, I thought it was him and Cox that were more likely to be convicted of the conspiracy charge(s) than Vernon. IIRC Vernon and Mrs Vernon still have to face another serious charge, something like threatening to kill a judge. Maybe I got muddled up over who was with Cox at one significant point.

[ArthurWankspittle]

Right, I've re-read a lot of the trial reporting and still can't see why Cox and Vernon were convicted of the conspiracy charge but not Barney, I'll put it down to the jury doing their job and me not knowing everything about the case.
A few questions though: Why the 90 day wait before sentencing? Is this standard for reports and preparing mitigation speeches? Where will they be sent to, because it was said there is not a Federal jail in Alaska? Seems a bit harsh on Mrs Cox and Mrs Barney that they will have to fly hundreds of miles for visits. I'm guessing Wa or Or.
What are the sentences likely to be? I think the weapons offences are 5 years, but the conspiracy? That's being said to be "life" but how long actually is that when handed down by a Federal court?

[Demosthenes]

Why the 90 day wait before sentencing? Is this standard for reports and preparing mitigation speeches?

You have to give the BOP time to interview the defendants, do thorough background checks, and prepare their pre-sentencing report.

Where will they be sent to, because it was said there is not a Federal jail in Alaska?

Wherever the BOP put them. Because of the lengths of their sentences, they will be placed in a medium security prison at the very minimum.

[Demosthenes]

The nearest medium security prison is in Sheridan Oregon.

There are no high security prisons in the northwestern US so they could end up in Victorville CA, Tucson AZ, or Atwater CA.

If they're assigned to an Admin prison (not unusual for mouthy sovereigns hellbent on retaliation) they'd probably get SeaTac in Washington State.

[notorial dissent]

I can't imagine considering their stated aims, and actions, that they would get sent to a medium security facility, all things considered. I think it is fairly obvious that Cox was literally the brains behind it, as I certainly don't see either of the other two getting tarred with that brush, and I quite honestly think that the reason that Barney got off lightly is that he comes across as so dimwitted that he couldn't tie his shoes without help. Cox was the brains, and Barney and Vernon were the willing follower muscle. I don't think any of that excuses the lesser two, as they were as much a part of it as Cox was, but he was the one who thought it up and planned it all, and they went along, and would probably have ended up doing the actual dirty work. By themselves Barney and Vernon are pretty much useless, and no real threat except to themselves, but I do think Cox is dangerous, and will only get more so if given the opportunity. I personally think the best place for him is a nice small cubicle at one of the supermaxes for the rest of his otherwise useless and misspent life.

[ArthurWankspittle]

... and I quite honestly think that the reason that Barney got off lightly is that he comes across as so dimwitted that he couldn't tie his shoes without help. Cox was the brains, and Barney and Vernon were the willing follower muscle. I don't think any of that excuses the lesser two, as they were as much a part of it as Cox was, but he was the one who thought it up and planned it all, and they went along, and would probably have ended up doing the actual dirty work. By themselves Barney and Vernon are pretty much useless, and no real threat except to themselves, .....

I agree that Vernon and Barney aren't the "sharpest knives in the block" but I'd put Vernon as possibly thicker than Barney. Barney was the electrical contractor and ran his own business, Vernon had several jobs over his lifetime, the most challenging being a truck driver.(all IIRC) Doesn't add up to me why Barney got off but Vernon didn't, I had Vernon as the most likely to be acquitted as he seemed the least involved. (Looking back through the case though I did notice there was one part which rather "landed him in it" as we say.)
Moving to another point, have I got this right? As this is a federal charge, "life" means "life without parole"? What a complete waste of molecules Cox is - and you can make a case out for this all stemming from him believing it was OK to attack his wife. That guy has a hell of a sense of entitlement.

[notorial dissent]

Arthur, I think you pretty much have it here. I pretty well agree with you on all points, the only reason I feel that Barney got off is that he really does come across as incredibly dim where as Vernon looks nasty and petulant, or at least did in the pictures I saw. I mean, he looks positively vacant most of the time, where Vernon came across as sulky and leering I guess you could say. I don't know how much it played to the jury, but sometimes subtle unconscious things can do a lot. As you say, three totally wasted useless lives. I guess on one bright spot, Cox won't be around to rough up his wife any more, and that has to count for something.

It will be interesting to see what BOP comes up with and what the judge does at sentencing.

[Cathulhu]

That moronic wife of his listens to too much Tammy Wynette. Yeah, I know she's the abused one here, but it sickens me how stupid it is to stand by your abuser. "I know he shouldn't beat me, but it's for my own good." is a classic case of something I call abuser dependency. Betcha there's handcuffs in that nightstand. It'll be interesting to see how the marriage holds up against the sentence and the difficulty of long travel for visits.

[notorial dissent]

I somehow missed that little tidbit, but it really shouldn't surprise me all things considered.

[Demosthenes]

Cox choked his wife and threatened to kill her when she said she wanted to leave him. That criminal charge is what started this whole chain of events.

[Cathulhu]

And this would be the article, from six days ago, that triggers my nausea:

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/14/2505458/m ... k=misearch

God's law? I treasure my atheism.

[ArthurWankspittle]

Cox choked his wife and threatened to kill her when she said she wanted to leave him. That criminal charge is what started this whole chain of events.

I'd come to the same conclusion, it's sad in a way that a paranoid wife beater has escalated his overblown beliefs, especially about himself, into life imprisonment.
Can someone confirm my previous thoughts about the life sentence, please, that, as this is Federal, the sentence is "life without parole" and he can't be given, say, "25 years to life"?

[Demosthenes]

Life is the maximum sentence the judge can give him. I haven't looked up the charges to see if there are any minimum sentences.

[notorial dissent]

Cox choked his wife and threatened to kill her when she said she wanted to leave him. That criminal charge is what started this whole chain of events.

This is all I had seen on the subject of the wife, and thus my earlier comment, hadn't seen the latest one at all. I find it interesting that so many of the sovrun types I come across all seem to have many of the same issues, i.e. their wives and children are "their" property to do with as they please, they aren't subject to any laws, except "natural" ones that they make up as they go along of course.

[Demosthenes]

I've seen quite a few animal cruelty cases involving sovs as well.