# Breaking news: Minnesota assassin targeting Democrats 2025-06-14 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** breaking-news\ **Created:** [June 14, 2025, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626 "2025-06-14T14:07:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/121 "2026-06-11T20:36:23Z")
That is not a Federal crime, is it? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/122 "2026-06-11T20:37:10Z")
Oops. You’re right. I’m wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/123 "2026-06-11T20:38:23Z")
They might be betting on a pardon, anyway. Criminals being stupid is not an unusual state of affairs. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/124 "2026-06-11T20:45:12Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > That is not a Federal crime, is it? Apparently, there were some federal crimes in this case. But also state crimes, and he could be prosecuted for those after he’s sentenced for the federal crimes. And the Orange Monster can’t pardon state crimes. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/125 "2026-06-11T20:48:40Z")
Upon further review… The article is about him pleading guilty to all the Federal charges. So everything he just pled to is fully legally (_spit_) pardonable. What happens after that is up to the Minnesota state & local authorities. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/126 "2026-06-11T20:52:43Z")
What Federal charges are associated with murder? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/127 "2026-06-11T20:54:31Z")
Murdering a federal official. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/128 "2026-06-11T21:06:19Z")
Would it be double jeopardy to be tried for murdering a federal official and then tried for murdering a Minnesota citizen? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/129 "2026-06-11T21:10:34Z")
No. A well established principle. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/130 "2026-06-11T21:11:13Z")
Outstanding, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/131 "2026-06-11T22:26:51Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Murdering a federal official. What federal official? The representative was a state legislator, not a member of Congress. Do state legislators count as federal officials? BTW, according to Wikipedia, Boelter has been charged with 2 counts of 1st degree murder and 2 counts of attempted murder. Those are state charges, not federal. And yes, he can be prosecuted for those in addition to prosecution in the federal courts. The reason is he violated two different laws. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/132 "2026-06-11T22:40:24Z")
Minnesota doesn’t have a death penalty, but the Feds do, so his plea bargain takes the death penalty off the table. Can the confession he agreed to in taking the Federal plea deal be used as evidence in the state trial? ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/133 "2026-07-23T19:40:07Z")
> Boelter, 59, agreed to [plead guilty](https://apnews.com/article/hortman-hoffman-boelter-minnesota-political-attack-c3e9d3e92eafbb9cfa4995935769898c) in June, almost a year after the Minneapolis-area attacks, so federal prosecutors would not seek [the death penalty](https://apnews.com/article/minnesota-democrat-assasination-plea-af14b275e8e332ed46e14d534254638a). Mark Hortman’s father and siblings voiced anger that he could not be sentenced to death… > > Friends and family of Minnesota Democratic lawmaker Melissa Hortman said the man sentenced Thursday to two life terms plus 40 years after pleading guilty to her murder failed to eliminate her legacy but caused enduring fear and fury as he changed their lives forever. > > Boelter also faces state charges, including two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, impersonating a police officer and animal cruelty. Hoffman and his family filed a personal injury lawsuit against Boelter in April… > > Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in a statement Thursday that Boelter’s state prosecution would move forward immediately noting a first appearance is scheduled for Aug. 3. [Man who killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman sentenced to life as family describes trauma, loss](https://apnews.com/article/hortman-hoffman-minnesota-lawmakers-boelter-sentencing-b9b2823e5386f2e4fbc465d23095dab8) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/134 "2026-07-23T19:49:57Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > No. A well established principle. Not in a million years could you try someone for the same murder twice. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/135 "2026-07-23T20:01:42Z")
I’m pretty sure it’s happened before. ---
**Author:** ![Toxgoddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Toxgoddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxgoddess)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/136 "2026-07-23T20:09:24Z")
In one very famous case, four times. The first three were mistrials; final one was an acquittal. The novel and movie were based on real events. > **[Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight_in_the_Garden_of_Good_and_Evil)** > > Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published on January 10, 1994, and follows the story of Jim Williams, an antiques dealer on trial for the alleged murder of Danny Hansford. Subtitled A Savannah Story, with an initial printing of 25,000 copies, the book became a New York Times Best-Seller for 216 weeks following its debut, and remains one of the longest-standing New York Times Best-Sellers. Berendt combined self-witness... ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626/137 "2026-07-23T21:30:55Z")
People aren’t tried for committing homicide, they’re tried for _breaking a law_. And there are two levels of law in the USA, state and federal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/breaking-news-minnesota-assassin-targeting-democrats-2025-06-14/1019626.md?page=6)