Boston Marathon Bombing: BEAHCAT & BRUINS, 'MURICA

[Abandon]

wut

[Kuya]

I seem to recall d44k being stupid but i can't really remember.

[Ddz]

I seem to recall d44k being stupid but i can't really remember.

Ding ding

Are there any information releases about the questioning yet?

[Ragnus]

Doesn't this also place a new lower limit on what is defined as a "weapon of mass destruction?" It was a pressure cooker bomb that made a hole in a sidewalk. It's not like it took down a city block.

[Edelweiss]

The only time I've seen people say that is pro-gun people using it as a sarcastic counter argument to background checks for guns. I have yet to see someone legitimately feel we need background checks for pressure cookers.

So /k/ (or Tea Party Tinfoil General) then.

And i'm not so sure about there being an element of sarcasm there; some of those guys seem to genuinely believe that. lol

[Blubbartron]

Doesn't this also place a new lower limit on what is defined as a "weapon of mass destruction?" It was a pressure cooker bomb that made a hole in a sidewalk. It's not like it took down a city block.

Yes, that's the bullshit with these charges. It completely trivializes *actual* weapons of mass destruction. If their bombs were weapons of mass destruction warranting the death penalty, then nuclear weapons that can kill hundreds of thousands warrant the torture/murder method straight out of Law Abiding Citizen. The prosecutors are bad and should feel bad for doing this.

[jmc]

Yes, that's the bullshit with these charges. It completely trivializes *actual* weapons of mass destruction. If their bombs were weapons of mass destruction warranting the death penalty, then nuclear weapons that can kill hundreds of thousands warrant the torture/murder method straight out of Law Abiding Citizen. The prosecutors are bad and should feel bad for doing this.

Yea, I don't get it either. I didn't know a IED was considered a weapon of mass destruction.

Also don't understand why they didn't charge him as a enemy combatant

[Ragnus]

I'm stupid. Ignore this post.

[Tyrath]

Came in here to echo the strange WMD charges. Not really sure why that was necessary. I feel like he's done enough to be able to apply the death penalty if thats what they really wanted without calling for bullshit WMD charges.

[tyven]

what if he beats the charges on grounds that they are not WMDs LOL

[Ragnus]

That would be amazing. Horrible, but amazing.

[Callisto]

Criminal (Civilian)


For the purposes of US Criminal law concerning terrorism,[28] weapons of mass destruction are defined as:

• any destructive device defined as any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas bomb, grenade, rocket having a propellant charge of more than four ounces, missile having an explosive or incendiary charge of more than one-quarter ounce, mine, or device similar to any of the devices described in the preceding clauses[29]
• any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors
• any weapon involving a biological agent, toxin, or vector
• any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life[30]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation's definition is similar to that presented above from the terrorism statute:[31]

• any explosive or incendiary device, as defined in Title 18 USC, Section 921: bomb, grenade, rocket, missile, mine, or other device with a charge of more than four ounces
• any weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals or their precursors
• any weapon involving a disease organism
• any weapon designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life
• any device or weapon designed or intended to cause death or serious bodily injury by causing a malfunction of or destruction of an aircraft or other vehicle that carries humans or of an aircraft or other vehicle whose malfunction or destruction may cause said aircraft or other vehicle to cause death or serious bodily injury to humans who may be within range of the vector in its course of travel or the travel of its debris.

Indictments and convictions for possession and use of WMD such as truck bombs,[32] pipe bombs,[33] shoe bombs,[34] cactus needles coated with botulin toxin,[35] etc. have been obtained under 18 USC 2332a.

Pertinent part bolded, we'd need to know more about the specific bomb design, as the definition appears to be based on the actual volume of explosive material within the device. Four ounces seems perfectly plausible as far as how much was in each pressure cooker, but I don't know shit about ordinance.

[Ragnus]

Yeah... four ounces is nothing. Had no idea that the definition put it so low.

[Coren]

The only time I've seen people say that is pro-gun people using it as a sarcastic counter argument to background checks for guns. I have yet to see someone legitimately feel we need background checks for pressure cookers.

This is what I was referring to. I live in south carolina, where if 90% of the US wants extended background checks on weapons, we own the other 10%.

edit: ok fine, so we share the 10% with the Dakotas and other batshit-crazy southern states. But still, you get the idea.

[kuronosan]

Yeah... four ounces is nothing. Had no idea that the definition put it so low.

With this definition I guess the term was justified in the Iraq War, since we did find crates of ammunition their soldiers left behind along with RPGs.

[NynJa]

Doesn't this also place a new lower limit on what is defined as a "weapon of mass destruction?" It was a pressure cooker bomb that made a hole in a sidewalk. It's not like it took down a city block.

Weapon of MASSachussets destruction...duh

[Qalbert]

gdi

[archibaldcrane]

The charges are federal, not state. He can also be charged with the police officer shooting in Mass and get life.

I wonder if he can get charged for murder for the officer, considering his brother did it apparently without his knowledge.

[Callisto]

I wonder if he can get charged for murder for the officer, considering his brother did it apparently without his knowledge.

Yeah I'm not sure exactly how accomplice rules work

[Blubbartron]

Yeah... four ounces is nothing. Had no idea that the definition put it so low.

The four ounces was for the propellant of rockets. For a bomb to be a "weapon of mass destruction", it just has to go boom. Doesn't matter how big, or whether it's explosive, incendiary, or poisonous. This is an absolutely retarded law, because it means that fireworks without propellant can be considered weapons of mass destruction. Unless, of course, the word "bomb" is more clearly defined somewhere else in the law that wikipedia was quoting.

edit: for the criminal law on terrorism (first bolded part), anyway. The FBI's definition (second bolded part) is a little more strict.