News and Politics | November 13, 2008 | 35 comments

Skinhead charged in Obama assassination plot claims there are too many African Americans on jury

source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/13/obama-plot-skinhead-wants_n_143630.html

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synclaire
One of two white supremacists charged with plotting to kill President-elect Barack Obama and dozens of other black people argued Thursday that a federal grand jury was racially stacked against him.

Daniel Cowart, 20, said his indictment should be dismissed.

A grand jury indicted Cowart and Paul Schlesselman, 18, on Nov. 5, charging them with plotting to kill Obama, possessing a sawed-off shotgun, carrying guns across state lines to commit crimes and planning to rob a licensed firearms dealer.

Cowart and Schlesselman are awaiting trial without bond at a northwest Tennessee jail, on lock down in a two-man cell and separated from other inmates for their own safety.

In his petition, Cowart said the grand jury had two white members, while "21 were African-American or of another race or races." The jury, he said, could not "under the most modest constitutional scrutiny ... be considered fair, impartial and unprejudiced."

Prosecutors declined comment.

Authorities describe Cowart and Schlesselman as white supremacist skinheads and accuse them of plotting a robbery and killing spree in which 88 black victims were to be slain.

The spree was to culminate, authorities say, in an attack on Obama -- with Cowart and Schlesselman decked out in white tuxedoes and firing guns from a speeding car.

No trial date has been set. Cowart and Schlesselman are expected to stand trial in the town of Jackson about 75 miles north of Memphis, since the crimes they are charged with allegedly occurred in that area.

"There had to be either a systematic exclusion of white people from that (grand jury) pool or there was some unexplained deviation in the composition of that pool by which you get two white people out of 23," Byrd said.

Byrd did not say how he knew the racial makeup of the grand jury. "That's the information I have," he said. "I'm not stereotyping anybody. What I'm saying is the law requires a fair cross section of the community and that didn't happen."

Byrd refused to discuss the charges against his client or his alleged affiliation with white supremacist groups.
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35 comments // Skinhead charged in Obama assassination plot claims there are too many African Americans on jury

  • tanyetta
  • Ish05
  • bedeboop
  • myowndesignjf
    • 0
      myowndesignjf  

    • So this group of people plan an unfair attack on another group of people, and then after being caught and arrested they want a fair trial? How is that fair?

      Let's just give them an all white jury and then watch as they still go to jail.

    • 3 years ago
  • CreditFigaro
  • pshira
  • rowast
    • 0
      rowast  

    • How dare they plan to carry about that plan while wearing white after labor day!

      Seriously though, the jury pool does sound a lil fishy.

    • 3 years ago
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  

    • The first place I was stationed in the Navy was in Memphis. It's diverse, but I would not say that 2 out of the entire jury should be white. Add a couple more, it's fair. And then no one can cry racist!!!

    • 3 years ago
  • BuddyP
  • keithponder
  • HaloedGriot
    • 0
      HaloedGriot  

    • Perhaps these cowards thought if they were to get a jury of their peers, some of the peers would be some white people who would share their sentiments and have pity of them...I could never see anyone who disagreed with Obama's political views to outright want him dead. This is a feeble reach and those two boys might as well face the music instead of making excuses.

      The state should make them watch "A Time To Kill" and stick a fork in 'em. Racial hate groups and hate crimes are the new terrorism.

    • 3 years ago
  • flyingkick
  • huntre
  • daledrops
  • rainbowryan420
  • Emil_G
    • 0
      Emil_G  

    • Typical co-option for the sake of self-serving argument tactic. Widely used.

      "they are the prejudiced racists!"

      ...

      "evolution is a religion"

    • 3 years ago
  • keeshii768
  • rossao
    • 0
      rossao  

    • These ARE your peers!!! If you want to kill our multi-cultural and beautifully diverse country, then I guess you and your buddy are in something deep!

    • 3 years ago
  • JudahEvan
  • FallenMorgan
  • Emil_G
  • melajuana
  • Gargaryun
    • 0
      Gargaryun  

    • They're mis-spelling His surname...it should end with a "D"
      another Irony...that's a Hebrew 1st name He's wearing...
      Sooo, when convicted, let's just throw Him into a den of hungry lions...to test His faith

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
  • keviar
    • 0
      keviar  

    • Wow they were planning to kill Obama by a drive-by wearing tuxedos. That's the holy grail of plans....

      Even if they have gone through with it. They would have indefinitely failed or killed by a hail of bullets.

    • 3 years ago
  • gregtwiford
  • alicynx
    • 0
      alicynx  

    • I'm on the fence here. On the one hand, he ought to have a jury of his peers, not necessarily a jury that is predisposed to be against him if even subconsiously - seriously, if you were sitting on a jury and the words "skinhead" or "white supremacist" were used in conjunction with the defendant, would you really be totally impartial? It would be tough to find a group who could be, honestly, so if they did he should be thanking his lucky stars they could find ANYone who would be able to judge the case fairly. I know I wouldn't fit the bill.
      On the other hand, if you fill the jury box with whites, it could be seen as sympathetic, the "good ole boy's network" and that wouldn't work either.
      I think he's stuck in a catch-22 and doesn't really have any recourse. The best thing for him would have been to not be a dumbass and threaten to kill people for looking different.

    • 3 years ago
  • megagrigg
    • 0
      megagrigg  
    • alicynx:

      How can someone be on the fence about a couple dudes that were gonna murder a large number of black school kids? (see comment above) And does a jury of my peers only include 6'6'" white guys who can't finish their bachelors until they're 34. If so I'm gonna start knockin' over some banks. The fact that some brothers might just be in your jury pool might be an added incentive not to be an ignorant bigot. Just in case you forgot it's 2008 and lack a modicum of empathy.

    • 3 years ago
  • kennymotown
  • ninepounds6
    • 0
      ninepounds6  

    • oh, tell me dipshit, were you going to give all those blacks you started out to kill a fair and impartial hearing before you sentenced them to death?

      LOL! Do you believe this guy????!

    • 3 years ago
  • Saladin
  • ladybee
  • onechance
  • Moopak
  • pokesmot
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