D.C. National Guard Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty to Murder
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that Lakanwal could face more charges as the investigation continues.
Afghan national Rahmanullah Lakanwal, the man accused of shooting two National Guardsmen in DC last Wednesday, pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, two counts of assault with intent to kill, and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Lakanwal has been in the hospital since the shooting.
U.S. Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her wounds.
US Air Force staff sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, is showing positive signs.
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said that Lakanwal could face more charges as the investigation continues.
D.C. Superior Court Magistrate Judge Renee Raymond ordered Lakanwal to be “held without bond before trial.”
Raymond cut off Lakanwal when he said, “I cannot open my eyes.”
The next court date is January 14.
[Featured image via YouTube]
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Comments
But of course – if he’s doing it in the name of Allah, then how can it be murder? Anything goes, if Allah sanctions it.
Since it was a religious act on his part as his god demands that all Infidels be killed, he should plead First Amendment protection.
Do Democrats accept 1st Amendment protections though, or only for those like Muslims like this? If it’s a Democrat City court …
This passes strict scrutiny.
Insanity plead coming…
He did it naked and his family is already in on the story, locked in his room refusing to come out, refusing to talk to anyone
If I were the father of the young guard murdered… I’d probably be ready
Going to be hard considering he shouted Allahu Ackbar. That means religious zealotry, which is not an insanity defense. Insanity is an affirmative defense like self defense. You are fully admitting they did it but have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant is or was mentally incompetent (not just mentally ill).
That said it’s probably their best option since he was caught red handed and the govt said no plea deal.
Agreed. Plus the inevitable wrangling of expert diagnosis delays the trial. Every moment closer to Jan ’29 and potential inaugural of a d/prog POTUS who might be more sympathetic to a plea deal benefits this goon.
Affirmative defenses do not have to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
In the case of self-defense it’s quite the contrary. The defendant must merely put on some evidence from which a jury can find self-defense. Upon doing so the burden of proof returns to the prosecution, which must disprove self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Even under the common law, the defendant needed only to prove self-defense by the preponderance of the evidence, not beyond reasonable doubt. But that is no longer the law anywhere in the USA, as far as I know.
In federal courts an insanity defense has a higher burden; the defendant must prove it by clear and convincing evidence, but not beyond reasonable doubt.
IF the judge allows a self-defense plea, the state then has to disprove it on only ONE of the five major parts of self-defense, not the “preponderance” of all five: Innocence (not initial aggressor), Avoidance (retreat if safely possible, in some states), Imminence (threat had to be immediate), Appropriateness (cannot escalate the level of defense beyond necessary to stop threat), and Reasonableness (is it an objective and subjective fear supported by others beliefs).
If the prosecutor can prove “beyond reasonable doubt” that any ONE of these was insufficient, the whole affirmative defense falls apart. This is why (and how) otherwise legitimate self-defenders fail at trial.
Robert Spenser believes he was stripping down for some immediate 72 virgin action upon entering pair-a-dice. He didn’t get his wish…now to make certain his dreams are shattered.
When the Mayor of Chicago was shot and killed standing next to FDR in Miami, the perp was tried, convicted and EXECUTED in 30 days. No truly just and civilized society would let this POS live longer than that.
He can’t open his eyes. Sew his eyelids back. That’ll solve the problem.