People across the state of Arizona might feel a little bit more at ease knowing that the man accused of trying to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords is being held in jail without bail. ABC News reported that the suspect, Jared Loughner, was at the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. Courthouse in Phoenix yesterday, where his preliminary hearing was scheduled for January 24.
Loughner now faces federal criminal charges that include one count of attempted assassination of a member of Congress, two counts of killing an employee of the federal government and two counts of attempting to kill a federal employee. The Pima County Sheriff's Office said that the suspect will also face state charges at a later date.
Saturday's attack in Tucson left six people dead and another 14 people injured, including Congresswoman Giffords. Authorities alleged that the suspect scrawled on an envelope the words "my assassination" and "Giffords" before taking a cab to the shopping center where the congresswoman was meeting with constituents on Saturday morning. Investigators say that such evidence indicates that the attack was planned, hence first-degree murder charges are being brought against the alleged shooter.
Defense lawyer Judy Clarke has been assigned to Jared Loughner's case. The Wall Street Journal reports that Loughner might invoke an insanity defense at his trial, where lawyers would have to prove that the defendant was so mentally impaired at the time of an offense that he didn't know right from wrong. If the defendant is found to be legally insane, he can be found not guilty by reason of insanity, or could receive a less severe punishment.
Related Resources:
- Locate a Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyer (FindLaw)
- Current Application of the Insanity Defense (FindLaw)
- The Insanity Defense Among the States (FindLaw)
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