Why far-right attackers aren't charged as domestic terrorists
Why far-right attackers aren’t charged as domestic terrorists
Despite the rise in right-wing violence, attackers rarely — if ever — face terrorism charges. Experts explain why.
LUKE BARNES at Think Progress
https://thinkprogress.org/why-far-right-extremism-isnt-prosecuted-as-domestic-terrorism-808753a2a2b7/
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However, he said there was no question about the links between attacks like the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando in June 2016 and the Charleston attack. Both, he suggested, were undeniable acts of terror.
“If you look at what [Pulse nightclub shooter] Omar Mateen did, the fact that he said ‘I swear allegiance to ISIS’ was good enough for everyone. Everyone agreed he was inspired by ISIS,” Southers added. “There should be no question about other instances where people have espoused beliefs in written documents […] about what their ideological background is. Why, then, would Dylann Roof, with a significant digital and physical presence, be charged or designated any differently than Mateen?”
Some analysts and attorneys have argued that a new domestic terrorism statute is needed, because while the U.S. legal code defines domestic terrorism, it currently carries no specific penalties.
In January 2018, the Justice Department’s domestic terrorism counsel Thomas Brzozowskinoted that federal prosecutors have “fewer tools” for prosecuting such cases, partly because homegrown extremist groups like the KKK enjoy wide protections under the First Amendment. That in turn makes it impossible to charge any affiliated extremist with providing material support to a “terror” organization.
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