A federal judge on Monday overturned another judge’s decision to allow a Coast Guard lieutenant to be released on bail despite being accused of plotting a mass white nationalist attack, according to the Washington Post and BuzzFeed News.
Christopher Paul Hasson is charged with illegal possession of unregistered and unmarked silencers, illegal possession of 17 firearms by an addict of controlled substances, and possession of the opioid Tramadol. Though prosecutors haven’t charged him with terrorism-related offenses, they refer to him in court filings as a “domestic terrorist.”
Hasson was arrested after investigators found a “hit list” of prominent Democrats and journalists, a stockpile of guns and an Internet history full of searches like “please god let there be a race war” and “best n***** killing gun.”
Several weeks ago, Judge Charles Day shocked the prosecutors (and apparently Hasson’s own wife) when he ruled that Hasson could be released on bail. Day’s reasoning was that the prosecutors didn’t plan on charging the Coast Guard official with terrorism.
But U.S. District Judge Jarrod Hazel felt differently, ruling that Hasson would have to stay in jail during court proceedings.
Well, that’s good.
But man it seems like our justice system is getting more and more fucked up.
Seems like the Second Amendment isn’t very thorough if you can make it illegal for someone to own weapons just because they’re addicted to something or have a conviction or whatever.
Either we’ve got the Right to bear arms, or we don’t.
NRA should be all in protecting this guy.
Well, yeah, he’s white after all. You can’t be a terrorist if you’re white. Although he may qualify as a homicidal psychotic fear-driven megalomaniac, which qualifies him to run in a Republican primary, but certainly not a terrorist.
Ok, key details: It was the magistrate judge who ruled he could be released on monitored bail, though he did not release him on the spot but instead scheduled a future bail terms hearing. That gave the prosecution time and a kick in the ass, and they appealed the bail release to the judge who will preside over the actual trial. Trial judge said nope, he’s a danger, and cited similar manifestos written by other mass shooters.
Im not sure why the prosecutors haven’t filed terrorism charges, but am glad to see common sense prevail here.
Apparently, he has motive, he has the means, and he’s shown intent by actively researching where to find his potential victims. Good enough for me to keep him locked up.