U.S.: Should Jared Lee Loughner’s criminal trial go out of state?
- Loughner’s lawyer is reportedly pushing for this. And honestly, veteran defender Judy Clarke, who has previously defended such upstanding citizens as the Unabomber and the Oklahoma City Bomber, has a point. (And a lot of tolerance for people in rough situations.) Beyond gravely wounding an elected official, Loughner killed a federal judge in Tucson. And while judges in Tucson have already voluntarily recused themselves in the case, it may be better for Loughner to get a fair trial if it’s in another state. Ultimately, the significant evidence behind him (which includes surveillance video, witnesses and evidence of pre-meditation) will prove hard for Clarke to overcome. But the wounding of Giffords and the killings have hurt the state significantly, and it’s probably better for everyone involved that it just happen elsewhere. Even reported monsters deserve a fair trial. source