Friday, January 12, 2007

Fincher Guilty In Machine Gun Case

It took a jury just under five hours to find Hollis Wayne Fincher guilty of owning illegal machine guns and a sawed-off shotgun.
[Via US vs Fincher]

[More About Wayne Fincher]

Wayne Fincher Case: Ruling on the Motion in Limine

I've just had time to browse through this and won't be able to give it a detailed read until tonight.

One point that stands out: the prosecutor is arguing the official position of the Bush adminstration Department of Justice.

Feel free to give your own analysis below.

I also note that closing arguments are scheduled for 9:00 am today in Fayetteville, which means they're probably going on as I type these words.

[Via Paul W. Davis]

[More About Wayne Fincher]

We're the Only Ones Stunning Enough

The indictment accuses Hood of using the Taser in August 2005 on a handcuffed man at a Colonial Beach motel. The indictment also alleges Hood used a Taser on a man in September 2005, causing him to fall backward and strike his head.

Hood then used his Taser on the man a second time as he lay on the ground, prosecutors said.

Turner is accused of completing false reports on both incidents.

While Turner asked for an FBI review of the Colonial Beach policy on Taser use, the indictment alleges the chief supplied false police reports and made false statements during the review.
What did Captain Renault say?
"I'm shocked, shocked..."
[More from "The Only Ones" files...]

GIGO*

AMERICAN states where more people own guns have higher murder rates, including murders of children, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health have reported...

"Our findings suggest that in the United States, household firearms may be an important source of guns used to kill children, women and men, both on the street and in their homes," said Matthew Miller, assistant professor of health policy and injury prevention, who led the study...

After dividing the states into four groups based on how many households had guns, the researchers found the states in the highest quartile of firearm ownership had overall homicide rates 60 per cent higher than states in the lowest quartile.

I haven't seen this study, so I'm going out on a limb here, but there's a big difference between households that have guns and households where guns are owned.

Violent urban felons have guns, but they don't legally own them, so if they're included in the mix, the results are automatically tainted and skewed in favor of citizen disarmament, and I suspect that's exactly what this whole show is all about. This "news" account also doesn't differentiate between whether any of the homicides were justified, whether any were committed by law enforcement, and what percentage were suicides--and as we've seen, if you want to reduce those, you'll get better results by disarming "The Only Ones."

Here's a "study" I'd like to see these eggheads document: Take the 4 million or so active members of the NRA, arguably the most heavily armed civilian population on the planet, and track their murder rate. I'd bet Prof. Miller a thousand dollars it's lower than the general population's murder rate in disarmed Japan.

If owning guns correlates to the 60% homicide differential he claims, it sounds like easy money. Any bets he'll take that bet?

*Garbage In/Garbage Out

Eyewitness Update from the Wayne Fincher Trial

David,

I cannot update you very much at this point as it is late, and it has been a difficult day. I am much reminded of the show trials of the Soviet Union in the 1920's: everything looked proper,but was very wrong. When this is all done I will be posting documents like mad to the Militia website. There will be many "must read" records from the court. I would highly encourage someone to setup a mirror site in the event this one is taken down. I do not expect it will be,but one never knows.

I spent about 45 minutes in private conversation with Wayne after proceedings were done for the day. Since Wayne is a dear friend, it was precious time to have. Wayne has not given in, and will not give up. After Oscar and I left the Federal Building, I told Oscar that the most honorable man in the courtroom today was Wayne Fincher. He agreed.

I will send more tomorrow.

Warmest regards,

Paul W. Davis
Via separate email, Mr. Davis also calls our attention to Document 26-1 of the Docket, giving us an update on how Mr. Fincher's health issues have been treated.

[More About Wayne Fincher]

Judge Disallows Fincher Defense

Hollis Wayne Fincher's machine gun trial will go to the jury today with the defense having presented no evidence or witnesses to the jury.

The defense rested Thursday after U.S. District Judge Jimm Larry Hendren ruled Fincher's proposed testimony inadmissible.
So much for earlier reports that this creature was honorable.

[Via Hairy Hobbit]

[More about Wayne Fincher ]

This Day in History: January 12

On this day in 1777, American Brigadier General Hugh Mercer dies from the seven bayonet wounds he received during the Battle of Princeton.