An FBI agent who led the investigation of nine Michigan militia members charged with trying to launch war against the federal government couldn't recall many details of the two-year probe yesterday during questioning by defense lawyers.

Even the judge who must decide whether to release the nine until trial was puzzled.

"I share the frustrations of the defense team … that she doesn't know anything," U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts said after agent Leslie Larsen confessed she hadn't reviewed her notes recently and couldn't remember specific details of the case.

Judge Roberts is hearing an appeal of another judge's order that has kept members of so-called Hutaree militia in jail since their arrest in late March.

The indictment says the nine planned to kill police officers as a steppingstone to a widespread uprising against the federal government.

Defense lawyers, however, say their clients are being punished for being outspoken.

Prosecutors fought to keep Ms. Larsen off the witness stand, saying the defendants had no legal right to question her.

But the judge said the agent's appearance was appropriate because the burden is on defense lawyers to show their clients won't be a threat to the public if released.

The nine lawyers asked specific questions about each defendant. Ms. Larsen said she had not listened entirely to certain recordings made by an undercover agent who infiltrated the group.

She said that because they were still being examined, she didn't know if weapons seized by investigators last month were illegal.

At other times, Ms. Larsen couldn't answer questions because she said she hadn't reviewed investigative reports.

Defense lawyer William Swor asked if the No. 1 defendant, Hutaree leader David Stone, had ever instructed anyone to make a bomb.

"I can't fully answer that question," the agent replied.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel defended Ms. Larsen, telling the judge it wasn't clear until Monday that she would testify.

Judge Roberts, however, said she told the government to be prepared last week.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald Waterstreet played an audiotape of what he said were several militia members talking freely about killing police.

The participants talked over each other, often laughed and made goofy noises and disparaging remarks about law enforcement.

Prosecutors objected to questions about interpreting the secretly recorded conversations, but the judge said they were fair game.

The judge will resume the court hearing today.

Prosecutors will have a chance to question people who are willing to be responsible for some of the nine if they are released from jail.

Originally posted by airforce:


But the judge said the agent's appearance was appropriate because the burden is on defense lawyers to show their clients won't be a threat to the public if released.

9 militia members charged with plotting against U.S. seek release
ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — Lawyers for nine jailed members of a Michigan militia charged with trying to launch war against the United States can summon a federal agent as a witness at a hearing to determine if they should be released, a judge said.

The decision is significant because defense lawyers believe the agent has information that would weaken the government’s claim that the nine are too dangerous to be released from jail while the case moves through court.

U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts planned to hear appeals of another judge’s detention order Tuesday.

The eight men and one woman have been in custody since their arrests about a month ago. They were indicted on weapons charges and conspiracy to commit sedition.

The indictment says the nine plotted violent acts against police officers as a steppingstone to a widespread uprising against the government. Defense lawyers, however, say their clients are being punished for being outspoken.

They were not allowed to call a federal agent as a witness during the initial detention hearing in late March. But Roberts ruled Monday night that the agent, whose name has not made public, can be compelled to testify.

An undercover agent infiltrated the group, called Hutaree, and secretly recorded the leader, David Stone, declaring “it’s time to strike and take our nation back so that we may be free again from tyranny.”

The gun found in Mexico was sold by Shipley to an El Paso PD officer.......it then somehow made it's way to Mexico....

Originally posted by airforce:
Anyone else get the impression the government's case is mostly hot air?

Onward and upward,
airforce

Originally posted by STRATIOTES:
FBI agent guilty of gun dealing

maybe they should remove the log from their own eye first .

Quote

The gun found in Mexico was sold by Shipley to an El Paso PD officer.......it then somehow made it's way to Mexico....

Background on Shiply and being targeted