- Joined
- May 27, 2009
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I don't know why I didn't notice this before, but the criminal complaint tries to make a case for FBI involvement and, I guess, for federal jurisdiction, by emphasizing interstate commerce. Maybe this is what the FBI always does -- emphasizes evidence that would make justify their jurisdiction?
For example,
"13. ...The SUBJECT VEHICLE was determined to be a Saturn Astra, a means, facility, and instrumentality of Interstate Commerce...
"20. ...Numerous electronic items were collected, including several computers and a cellular telephone belonging to CHRISTENSEN (hereinafter referred to as "SUBJECT PHONE"), all of which are a means, facilities, and instrumentalities of Interstate Commerce...
"23. Pursuant to the search warrant, a forensic examination was conducted on the SUBJECT PHONE...This phone, a means, facility, and instrumentality of Interstate Commerce..."
IMO, interstate commerce is pretty weak as an argument for a federal case since by this definition, any phone, computer, or car would be a means of interstate commerce and it's hard to think of many crimes these days that don't involve one of those items or something else that was manufactured out of the state in which the crime was committed.
The other thing I noticed this time that I did not notice the last time(s) I read the complaint is that SUBJECT PHONE is a defined term that includes all of the electronic devices they seized, including several computers. Later in the complaint when they call out the fetish sites he visited, it's impossible to know which device, whether it was actually his phone or one of his computers, accessed Fetlife, because the reference is to the defined term, 'SUBJECT PHONE'.
For example,
"13. ...The SUBJECT VEHICLE was determined to be a Saturn Astra, a means, facility, and instrumentality of Interstate Commerce...
"20. ...Numerous electronic items were collected, including several computers and a cellular telephone belonging to CHRISTENSEN (hereinafter referred to as "SUBJECT PHONE"), all of which are a means, facilities, and instrumentalities of Interstate Commerce...
"23. Pursuant to the search warrant, a forensic examination was conducted on the SUBJECT PHONE...This phone, a means, facility, and instrumentality of Interstate Commerce..."
IMO, interstate commerce is pretty weak as an argument for a federal case since by this definition, any phone, computer, or car would be a means of interstate commerce and it's hard to think of many crimes these days that don't involve one of those items or something else that was manufactured out of the state in which the crime was committed.
The other thing I noticed this time that I did not notice the last time(s) I read the complaint is that SUBJECT PHONE is a defined term that includes all of the electronic devices they seized, including several computers. Later in the complaint when they call out the fetish sites he visited, it's impossible to know which device, whether it was actually his phone or one of his computers, accessed Fetlife, because the reference is to the defined term, 'SUBJECT PHONE'.