Jury in 3rd trial won’t hear earlier results in Whitmer plot
2 years, 3 months ago

Jury in 3rd trial won’t hear earlier results in Whitmer plot

Associated Press  

The results of two federal trials won’t be shared with jurors hearing evidence against three men who are charged in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Defense lawyers pressed a judge in Jackson, Michigan, to let the jury know what happened to the six men who were separately charged with conspiracy in federal court. “I’m not comfortable with us continuing to tap dance around.” Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar are charged in state court with providing material assistance for a terrorist act. But when it comes to a jury of 12 lay people to understand those differences, I’m concerned that it would be overly prejudicial.” Wilson said jurors might think: “‘Well, if they got off, why shouldn’t these guys get off?’ The charges were significantly different and more serious.” Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were acquitted of conspiracy in federal court last spring.

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History of this topic

Michigan attorney general blames Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial acquittals on ‘right-leaning’ jurors
1 year, 3 months ago

Michigan attorney general blames Gov. Whitmer kidnap trial acquittals on ‘right-leaning’ jurors

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Michigan’s attorney general suggested conservative politics played a role in the acquittal of three men in the final trial related to a plan to kidnap Democratic Gov. Dana Nessel, also a Democrat, told a liberal group Monday the trial was held in a “very right-leaning county.” She said Friday’s verdicts were “perplexing, confusing but terrifying.” The Detroit News …

Jury clears 3 men in the last trial tied to the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
1 year, 3 months ago

Jury clears 3 men in the last trial tied to the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Associated Press  

A jury acquitted three men Friday in the last trial connected to a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Outside the courthouse, a juror approached Molitor and “said he was very sorry for all he had gone through,” defense attorney William Barnett told The Associated Press. Jurors were repeatedly shown images of the Null brothers and Molitor bearing guns and “kitted …

Judge denies bid for new trial in Whitmer kidnapping case
2 years, 1 month ago

Judge denies bid for new trial in Whitmer kidnapping case

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A federal judge has denied a new trial request by two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s Democratic Gov. Lawyers for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. alleged misconduct by a juror and unfairness by U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker following their conviction by a federal jury in August. Defense lawyers said a juror seated …

Three militia members guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
2 years, 2 months ago

Three militia members guilty in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

Raw Story  

Three men were convicted on multiple felony charges in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. A Jackson County jury found Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar guilty Wednesday morning on all charges following a three-week trial, and the men could face more than 20 years in prison when they're sentenced Dec. 15, reported MLive. Their defense attorneys argued the …

Jury hears closing remarks in 3rd trial tied to Whitmer plot
2 years, 2 months ago

Jury hears closing remarks in 3rd trial tied to Whitmer plot

Associated Press  

Prosecutors urged a jury Monday to convict three men for assisting the leaders of a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, saying they provided land, paramilitary training and inspiration for domestic terrorism in the months ahead of the 2020 U.S. election. “In this country you are allowed to talk the talk, but you only get convicted if you walk the walk,” …

Trial testimony ends for 3 tied to Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
2 years, 2 months ago

Trial testimony ends for 3 tied to Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Associated Press  

Prosecutors and defense lawyers rested their case Friday in the trial of three men charged with assisting the 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. An undercover FBI agent, Mark Schweers, told jurors that leader Adam Fox talked favorably about the Wolverine Watchmen, a paramilitary group whose members included Joe Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar. The trial in state court …

Accused of flirting, juror dismissed from Whitmer plot trial
2 years, 2 months ago

Accused of flirting, juror dismissed from Whitmer plot trial

Associated Press  

JACKSON, Mich. — A judge has dismissed a young woman from the jury hearing the trial of three men in connection with a 2020 plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Judge Thomas Wilson announced Friday that the woman has been removed from the jury, two days after attorneys raised concerns the juror was having too much non-verbal communication with defendant Paul …

A flirt? Concerns about juror in case tied to Whitmer plot
2 years, 2 months ago

A flirt? Concerns about juror in case tied to Whitmer plot

Associated Press  

Prosecutors raised concerns Wednesday about a female juror who apparently has been smiling at one of three men on trial in connection with a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Judge Thomas Wilson said he, too, noticed it and pledged to pay “close attention” to the juror. “Since the start of the trial — and we’re prepared to offer sworn testimony …

Jury pool warned of rough talk in trial tied to Whitmer plot
2 years, 3 months ago

Jury pool warned of rough talk in trial tied to Whitmer plot

Associated Press  

JACKSON, Mich. — Questions about guns, secretly recorded “repugnant” talk and even the Jan. 6 Capitol riot dominated jury selection Monday in the third trial connected to a 2020 anti-government plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. “Let’s talk about Jan. 6 at the United States Capitol.. A rather uncivilized event,” Assistant Attorney General Bill Rollstin said. “We’re talking about events that …

2 men convicted in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot seek new trial
2 years, 4 months ago

2 men convicted in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot seek new trial

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Lawyers for two men convicted of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s governor are asking for a new trial, alleging misconduct by a juror and unfairness by the judge. The court filing, unsealed Thursday, reveals an aggressive effort to learn more about a juror, even sending a private investigator to the juror’s workplace on Aug. 23, the same …

Whitmer kidnap plot convictions unlikely to curb extremism
2 years, 4 months ago

Whitmer kidnap plot convictions unlikely to curb extremism

Associated Press  

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — The conviction of two men for conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. Barbara McQuade, a former federal prosecutor, said refusing to do so would have been “the coward’s way out.” “We’re seeing an escalation of threats of violence against public officials,” McQuade said. He described the Whitmer kidnapping plan as a “fake deal.” Jury selection in the …

Two men convicted in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
2 years, 4 months ago

Two men convicted in plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

LA Times  

Barry Croft Jr., left, and Adam Fox were found guilty of conspiring to kidnap Michigan’s governor and conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, namely a bomb to destroy a bridge. Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. were also found guilty of conspiring to obtain a weapon of mass destruction, namely a bomb to blow up a bridge and …

Jury is told 2 men wanted to kidnap Whitmer, start revolt
2 years, 5 months ago

Jury is told 2 men wanted to kidnap Whitmer, start revolt

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two anti-government extremists sought to spark a “second American revolution” by kidnapping Michigan Gov. The steps included gun drills in a handmade “shoot house,” two rides to see Whitmer’s northern Michigan home and a stop at a nearby bridge where an explosive might be placed, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher O’Connor said. “They wanted to violently overthrow …

Jury picked in 2nd trial in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
2 years, 5 months ago

Jury picked in 2nd trial in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After questions about guns, politics and COVID-19, a jury was selected Tuesday for the second trial of two men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. The judge and lawyers settled on 18 people, including six alternates, to hear the case against Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. They’re on trial again after a jury in …

EXPLAINER: 2 men in Gov. Whitmer plot could be tried again
2 years, 8 months ago

EXPLAINER: 2 men in Gov. Whitmer plot could be tried again

Associated Press  

DETROIT — A jury’s inability to reach a unanimous verdict for two men charged in a conspiracy to kidnap Michigan Gov. The jury last week acquitted Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta, whom prosecutors described as “soldiers” in the foiled plot, but deadlocked on the alleged leaders, Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge told reporters Friday that …

Whitmer kidnap plot: 2 men acquitted, hung jury for 2 more
2 years, 9 months ago

Whitmer kidnap plot: 2 men acquitted, hung jury for 2 more

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A jury acquitted two men of all charges in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. “Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome.. We have two defendants that are awaiting trial and we’ll get back to work on that,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said. During closing arguments a week ago, Fox’s attorney, Christopher Gibbons, said the plan was …

Whitmer kidnap plot: 2 men acquitted, hung jury for 2 more
2 years, 9 months ago

Whitmer kidnap plot: 2 men acquitted, hung jury for 2 more

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A jury on Friday acquitted two men of all charges in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. “Obviously we’re disappointed with the outcome.. We have two defendants that are awaiting trial and we’ll get back to work on that,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said. During closing arguments a week ago, Fox’s attorney, Christopher Gibbons, said the …

Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot jury ends 4th day of deliberations
2 years, 9 months ago

Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot jury ends 4th day of deliberations

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The jury in the trial of four men accused of scheming to kidnap Michigan Gov. When jurors return for more deliberations Friday, they said they want to see pennies that, according to the government, were part of a homemade explosive detonated while the men trained in September 2020. “We will have that for you,” U.S. District …

3rd day ends with no verdict yet in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
2 years, 9 months ago

3rd day ends with no verdict yet in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The third day of deliberations ended Wednesday without a verdict in a trial that centers on a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. You now know a lot more about the case than you ever expected to know and a lot more about each other’s views than you ever expected to know.” Adam Fox, Barry Croft Jr., …

2 days, no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case
2 years, 9 months ago

2 days, no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot case

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A jury emerged Tuesday with no verdict yet in the trial of four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker thanked jurors for their “ongoing attentiveness and work” and told them to return Wednesday for a third day of deliberations. With undercover FBI agents and informants embedded in the group, …

1st day ends with no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer plot
2 years, 9 months ago

1st day ends with no verdict in Michigan Gov. Whitmer plot

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Jurors returned to court to ask a question Monday but offered no verdict during the first day of deliberations in the trial of four men accused of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Gov. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker told jurors to “find a good distraction,” maybe the NCAA men’s basketball championship, and return Tuesday “ready to engage, …

Defense rests in trial of 4 men in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
2 years, 9 months ago

Defense rests in trial of 4 men in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Associated Press  

Defense attorneys quickly rested their case Thursday after one of four men charged with plotting to kidnap Michigan Gov. At one point, Harris snapped, “Next question.” “Everyone can take it down a notch,” U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker said later. A key part of the government’s case is a firearms training weekend at Luther, Michigan, in September 2020 with a …

Jury Selection Starts In Michigan Governor Kidnap Plot
2 years, 10 months ago

Jury Selection Starts In Michigan Governor Kidnap Plot

Huff Post  

LOADING ERROR LOADING GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — With secret recordings and other evidence, prosecutors are pledging to show how four men were united behind a wild plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor in response to her aggressive steps to slow down COVID-19 during the early months of the pandemic. Jury selection began Tuesday for a trial that could last more than …

EXPLAINER: Charges at Michigan governor kidnap plot trial
2 years, 10 months ago

EXPLAINER: Charges at Michigan governor kidnap plot trial

Associated Press  

CHICAGO — Four members of anti-government groups are facing trial this week on federal charges accusing them in a chilling plot to abduct Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, in 2020. Jury instructions proposed by prosecutors prior to trial explain that convictions on the kidnapping and weapons conspiracy charges require evidence that each defendant committed at least one of the long …

Judge: No FBI entrapment for 3 in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot
2 years, 10 months ago

Judge: No FBI entrapment for 3 in Gov. Whitmer kidnap plot

Associated Press  

A judge ruled Tuesday that three men charged in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico and Paul Bellar will face a tentatively scheduled pretrial examination in August and trial in September, Jackson County Circuit Judge Thomas Wilson said during a video conference. “This ruling makes clear these defendants were not pressured by law enforcement into …

Judge orders 3 to trial in plot to kidnap Michigan governor
3 years, 9 months ago

Judge orders 3 to trial in plot to kidnap Michigan governor

Associated Press  

A Michigan judge on Monday ordered three men to stand trial in a plot to kidnap Democratic Michigan Gov. “My office is pleased to see this case move forward and to have the opportunity to hold these men accountable for their actions.” According to a court affidavit, Musico and Morrison are founding members of the Wolverine Watchmen, which authorities described …

Grand jury indicts six accused in Michigan governor kidnap plot
4 years ago

Grand jury indicts six accused in Michigan governor kidnap plot

Al Jazeera  

The men were arrested and charged in October with plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Six men facing charges of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer were indicted by a grand jury this week, the US attorney’s office for western Michigan said on Thursday. Parker Douglas, a lawyer representing Harris, said Harris had pleaded not guilty because “there …

Judge finds cases against 5 in Whitmer plot can move forward
4 years, 2 months ago

Judge finds cases against 5 in Whitmer plot can move forward

Associated Press  

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Prosecutors provided enough evidence to move toward trial for five Michigan men accused of plotting to kidnap the state’s governor because of her measures to control spread of the coronavirus and they will all remain held without bond, a federal judge ruled Friday. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sally Berens said the five men’s cases can go to …

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