Ed and Elaine Brown fan arrested trying to blow up gas line

[The Observer]

Maybe so, but had anyone died because of such a "serious localized problem", the Government goes for the death penalty, setting Anson Chi up for a one-way ticket to USP Terre Haute and the needle.

As should happen, since Anson was the one who would have caused the death.

[Cathulhu]

Note to all wannabe mass killers: if you're contemplating killing a bunch of people, start with yourself please.

Go, Darwin!

[notorial dissent]

Hear hear!

[Demosthenes]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jjmacnab/20 ... explosion/

[jg]

Nice article.

It sure would be nice if someone with such writing talent would actually publish a book about this subject matter!

[Famspear]

Nice article.

It sure would be nice if someone with such writing talent would actually publish a book about this subject matter!

Yes, but a person shouldn't rush this kind of thing.

[Judge Roy Bean]

Nice article.

It sure would be nice if someone with such writing talent would actually publish a book about this subject matter!

Yes, but a person shouldn't rush this kind of thing.

Indeed.

[jkeeb]

In 2008, Chi self-published a book, a quasi-memoir which ended with his imagined suicide. To promote the book, he called himself “an author, politician, model, activist–environmental, social, political–and retired engineer.”

Must be very hard to write a book.

[Famspear]

Anson Chi has been indicted by a Federal grand jury on a charge of possession of a destructive device -- that is, possession of a "firearm" not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, in violation of the National Firearms Act, at Internal Revenue Code sections 5841, 5845, 5861(d) and 5871. The indictment was filed on July 11, 2012.

In addition to the closed docket on this case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, there are now two dockets in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas.

The first is docket number 4:12-mj-00253-DDB.

The second, under which the indictment is filed, is case number 4:12-cr-00155-RAS-DDB. The magistrate judge in this case has issued an order that Anson Chi be detained pending the trial. This is from the text of the July 10th order:

Considering the nature of the offense, the testimony at the detention hearing, the pretrial services report, Defendant's lack of employment, his ties to other countries, the fact that it is alleged that Defendant set off a bomb and intended to create more bombs, the fact that Defendant used aliases to conceal his purchases for the materials to make the bombs, his possession of books instructing him on how to make bombs, his deception to the agent, his possession of firearms, the fact that it appeared to the Court that Defendant’s father was scared of Defendant, the fact that Defendant’s parents were not suitable custodians for Defendant and there was no evidence of anywhere else he could go to live, his criminal history, the fact that Defendant testified that he did not want to be released to return to live with his family, and the testimony that Defendant did not want to be an arm chair activist but rather an actual activist, the Court concludes from clear and convincing evidence that Defendant would pose a danger to the community, and by a preponderance of the evidence that Defendant would pose a risk of flight if released. Further, the Court concludes that there is no condition or combination of conditions on which Defendant could be released which would reasonably assure the Defendant’s presence at trial.

If convicted, Anson Chi would face up to ten years in prison, or a fine of up to $250,000, or both.

[Famspear]

Anson Chi has retained Ms. Brook Allison Busbee of Dallas as his attorney.

Busbee was admitted to the Texas Bar in 1979. She is a former Chief Felony Prosecutor in the Travis County, Texas, DA's office (umm, that's Austin and environs, for those unknowing individuals unfortunate enough not to live in Texas), and she's Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

He's gonna need her.

[Famspear]

On August 27, 2012, Anson Chi's attorney filed this motion:

Comes now Brook A. Busbee, attorney for the Defendant, Anson Chi, having reasonable cause to believe that the Defendant may be so mentally incompetent as to be unable to understand the proceedings against him or properly to assist in his own defense, respectfully move this Honorable Court for a judicial determination of the mental competency of the defendant, pursuant to Title 18, Section 4241 of the United States Code.

Counsel makes this motion because interviews with the Defendant and the Defendant’s family reveal that the Defendant has a delusional mindset which prohibits him from understanding the nature and consequences of the proceedings against him, and it is my belief that his mental illness will and has prevented him from properly assisting in his own defense.

The Court has issued an order granting the motion.

A pre-trial conference was held on Tuesday, September 4th, and the pre-trial conference was continued to January 7, 2013.

[xanadu]

This guy is a real nut job.
The bomb he was using was only powerful enough to injure him ???
Gas pipelines are make of "serious" steel and to blow one up takes some really heavy duty
explosives. If he had had the right explosive, there would have not been enough pieces
of him to bury.

[Famspear]

This guy is a real nut job.
The bomb he was using was only powerful enough to injure him ???
Gas pipelines are make of "serious" steel and to blow one up takes some really heavy duty
explosives. If he had had the right explosive, there would have not been enough pieces
of him to bury.

Speaking of nut jobs, let us not forget 70 year old Edward Lewis Brown, federal inmate #03923-049. He has now been in custody for over five years (1,888 days, to be exact), and he's scheduled for release in about 29 years (specifically, on August 17, 2044). If he can just hang on for another 10,821 days, he'll be a free man.

[grixit]

Geez, that long already? Just think, their original sentences would be up by now.

[Famspear]

A competency hearing for Anson Chi has been set for March 4, 2013.

[JamesVincent]

A competency hearing for Anson Chi has been set for March 4, 2013.

Is it normal for a case to go on this long before it even comes to court, per se? It would be pushing a year just to get his competency hearing in.

[wserra]

Is it normal for a case to go on this long before it even comes to court

No, it isn't. Competency proceedings in federal court normally take 90 days or less. Poking around found the following in an order dated December 13, 2012:

On this day the court conducted a telephone conference call with counsel for the Government and counsel for the Defendant regarding the mental exam of the Defendant to determine his competency for trial. The court has been informed today by the U.S. Marshal that the August 31, 2012 Order directing the United States Marshal to transport the Defendant to a suitable facility for a competency exam was never received by the Marshals Service. The reason the electronic notification system did not transmit a copy of the Order to the Marshals Service was fully discussed with counsel during today’s telephone conference. Nevertheless, the Marshals Service is now aware of the Order and has informed the court that the Defendant will be transported to a suitable Federal Bureau of Prisons facility for a mental competency exam as soon as possible. However, as a result, the court and the attorneys recognize that the January 7, 2013 final pretrial setting is now too soon and must be rescheduled. In order to give the Bureau of Prisons time to conduct its examination, the court hereby CONTINUES the Final Pretrial Conference and Competency Hearing until Monday, March 4, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.

Oops.

I would like to think that, if Chi had a prayer of getting out, defense counsel would have realized that something was wrong. It's also a little strange that Chi himself didn't squawk about just sitting in jail and nothing happening. But the Court's reaction appears to be no harm, no foul.

[The Observer]

I would like to think that, if Chi had a prayer of getting out, defense counsel would have realized that something was wrong.

Gotta wonder if his attorney felt safer with his client behind bars.

It's also a little strange that Chi himself didn't squawk about just sitting in jail and nothing happening.

Chi probably saw it as a sovrun badge of honor and more grist for the mill about the "ebil gubmint." Besides, he's getting room and board, plus a captive audience for his rants. So it may not be strange at all, given his bizarre behavior.

But the Court's reaction appears to be no harm, no foul.

Perhaps because he will received credit for time served against his inevitable sentence?

[wserra]

It's also a little strange that Chi himself didn't squawk about just sitting in jail and nothing happening.

Chi probably saw it as a sovrun badge of honor and more grist for the mill about the "ebil gubmint." Besides, he's getting room and board, plus a captive audience for his rants. So it may not be strange at all, given his bizarre behavior.

You definitely have a point.

But the Court's reaction appears to be no harm, no foul.

Perhaps because he will received credit for time served against his inevitable sentence?

Right. That's what I meant by "no harm".

[JamesVincent]

Right. That's what I meant by "no harm".

When would it reach the point of affecting speedy trial? And, if it does, if his attorney recommends refusing to waive that right and Chi does not want to, where does that go? Like the Observer said in his delusional mind while he's back in prison he is fighting the good fight and making converts but I cant see any defense attorney ever failing to recommend not waiving that right.