Saw this article in the Washington Post that the Club Q shooter is being charged with 50 hate crimes by federal prosecutors. The shooter is currently serving five consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty, so I’m wondering why they are being charged with this now. I’m just curious what the reasoning is and what purpose it serves. Is it against the possibility of the conviction being overturned at some point?
The other charges were state charges and they were sentenced in state court. These charges are federal charges. Why have federal laws on the books if you aren’t going to charge for obvious and well documented violations of the law? Expense really isn’t an issue since a guilty plea is expected.
Why would he plead guilty? He’s in jail forever, has nothing better to do and an attorney won’t cost him anything. This might alleviate some boredom for him.
If for some weird reason he is able to get out of State prison like a long shot appeal coming through or a wacko Governor pardoning him, he will still have to serve his Federal time.
Will the federal imprisonment take precedence over their current residence in Wyoming State Penitentiary? I wouldn’t be opposed to them spending the rest of their life at ADX Florence, as overboard as it might be.
Opportunity cost. Any time spent on this case means they didn’t look at / charge another case. With 5 life sentences it’s not like he’s going to spend any more time in jail because of these charges.
That was my thinking as well. It doesn’t seem like these additional charges have any substantial effect on Aldrich’s situation, so it only seems worth the effort if there is any chance of an appeal or pardon.
That brings to mind the situation of the man Alabama executed this week. The judge overruled the jury’s recommendation of life without parole and imposed the death penalty.
Can a judge do that when the prosecutor says he’s not seeking execution?
Or is accepting a guilty plea and then imposing a death sentence utterly against the rules?
When it comes to the death penalty it varies greatly from state to state. Some states have a separate penalty hearing which requires a unanimous verdict for the death penalty. If the prosecutor doesn’t request it then the judge can’t order it.