09/16/2020 / By Ethan Huff
With the November election fast approaching, tensions on both sides of the political aisle continue to escalate. And because violence is often the outcome, Attorney General William Barr is urging state attorneys general to remember that the worst forms of it can be prosecuted under a rarely executed sedition law.
During a recent conference call with U.S. attorneys all across the country, Barr emphasized that the chaos will more than likely worsen as we approach Nov. 3. Particularly on the left, anarchists, you might call them, are hellbent on spreading death and destruction, which is already unraveling civil society at breakneck speed.
To help minimize the fallout, Barr wants legal experts to know that if there is strong evidence to suggest that “protesters” are conspiring against government agents or officials that sedition charges could be warranted.
While admittedly difficult to prove in court, a sedition case involving imminent danger can be won, resulting in stricter penalties than those for, say, disorderly conduct or rioting.
“There’s all these different statutes the government can use if they are worried about things like property damage,” says Jenny Carroll, a law professor at the University of Alabama who contends that sedition charges represent an escalation of the government’s response to such violence.
“If you start charging those people, even if you don’t get a conviction, it may make people think twice before going out to exercise their right to free speech.”
A sedition charge is unique in that it serves as a heightened response to more serious cases involving extreme forms of violence. Plotting to overthrow an entire police department, for instance, or strategically setting fires to cause mass destruction and death may qualify.
Such charges were brought against three individuals who back in June were accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at New York City police vehicles during the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests.
Back in 2010, a Michigan-based militia group was also charged with sedition after its members were accused of plotting to kill a local police officer. The case ended with an acquittal, however, after a federal judge said the government’s case was built on “circumstantial evidence.”
Concerning more recent events, BLM and Antifa rioters like the late Michael Forest Reinoehl of Portland may, if he was still alive, qualify for sedition charges. The same might be true of VICE writer Donovan Farley, who openly egged on Reinoehl’s violence and encouraged others to follow in his footsteps.
President Trump has repeatedly addressed the violence problem in recent days, both on Twitter and at his rallies, urging public officials to start taking action. Trump wants the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring more cases against violent demonstrators that involve longer prison sentences, which he sees as a strong deterrent against the types of violence that now plague many of our nation’s biggest cities.
Should Joe Biden win the election, the violence we are seeing today will escalate exponentially, Trump contends. And this escalation is already apparent today as the election approaches, bringing increasing strife and conflict to our already deeply divided nation.
Back in June, Barr formed a task force specifically to counter what he described as “antigovernment extremists” who are engaging “in indefensible acts of violence designed to undermine public order.”
“No question, Antifa is a movement,” Barr stated during a recent interview with NBC News.
“They have websites. They are organized … Anyone who has spent a moment at these things and heard their chants and what they’re calling for can see right away that they are, they say they are, revolutionaries, that this is a revolution.”
The collapse of America at the hands of violent rioters appears to be imminent. To keep up with the latest, check out Collapse.news.
Sources for this article include:
Tagged Under: barr, charges, election, insurrection, national security, President Trump, prosecutors, Protesters, rebellion, riots, Sedition, treason, uprising, violence, William Barr
COPYRIGHT © 2017 LEFTCULT.COM
All content posted on this site is protected under Free Speech. LeftCult.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. LeftCult.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. All trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.