PA - 11 killed, 6 injured in mass shooting at Pittsburgh Synagogue, 27 Oct 2018 *guilty, death sentence*

[YESorNO]

One month since the Tree of Life massacre, here’s what we know — and what we still don’t know (with clip)

Nov. 27, 2018

"A month has passed since gunfire exploded in the Tree of Life synagogue.

In a matter of minutes, 11 people were killed and six wounded; a federal hate crimes investigation was launched; a week of burials followed....

A month later and that story continues to move and unfold, along with acts of kindness, the fallout and the fear this act inspired. Here, we’re taking a look back at what happened on that October morning and what’s transpired since. We also look ahead as the criminal case against Bowers proceeds and as the city prepares for its first Hanukkah since the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history.

Here’s what we know a month later — and what remains unknown....

When will Bowers’ trial start?

A decision on the death penalty has to come before a trial can start since a capital case would impact lawyer preparation and jury selection. A status conference is still scheduled for Dec. 11 before United States Senior District Judge Donetta Ambrose, the federal judge currently assigned to the case. A status conference is typically held to determine if a plea is likely, if there are still unresolved evidentiary issues or to schedule a trial date. Bowers’ trial is expected to last three to four weeks or longer if there’s a death penalty phase...."

One month since the Tree of Life massacre, here’s what we know — and what we still don’t know

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[YESorNO]

US man arrested for plotting synagogue attacks in Toledo, Ohio
FBI says Damon Joseph planned to carry out mass shooting during Shabbat services on behalf of Islamic State, told undercover agent he was inspired by Pittsburgh massacre

10 December 2018

"The FBI on Monday announced the arrest of a 21-year-old Ohio man on terrorism charges for allegedly plotting to attack two synagogues in the US city of Toledo, Ohio. He has been charged with one count of attempting to provide material support for the Islamic State terror group.

According to the Department of Justice, Damon M. Joseph was arrested on Friday after purchasing 2 AR-15 rifles and talking of killing many people, including a rabbi.

The affidavit filed in US District Court in Toledo said Joseph was inspired by the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting attack in October, which killed 11 Jewish worshipers.

Earlier in December, Joseph told an undercover FBI agent that he was identifying synagogues in the Toldeo area to carry out a mass shooting attack in the name of the Islamic State. He told the undercover agent that Jews were evil, and that the Tree of Life Synagogue victims “got what was coming to them.”

“I admire what the guy did with the shooting actually,” Joseph wrote to the agent in one communication. “I can see myself carrying out this type of operation inshallah. They wouldn’t even expect [an attack] in my area.”...

He expressed hatred for Americans – singling out gays, Christians, Catholics, and Jews, according to the FBI.

If convicted, Joseph faces up to 20 years in prison...."

US man arrested for plotting synagogue attacks in Toledo, Ohio
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[YESorNO]

Synagogue shooting suspect's defense team to appear in court Tuesday (with clip)

Dec 10, 2018

"PITTSBURGH - The defense team for Tree of Life Synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers is expected to appear in federal court for a status conference Tuesday.

The judge has issued a new order in the case about what's not allowed in the courtroom, which includes any electronic devices.
Prosecutors also filed a notice of procedure outlining the steps to move forward with the death penalty against Robert Bowers.
Bowers is charged in a 44-count indictment, with 32 of those counts carrying a maximum penalty of death.

That recommendation will then be submitted to the Capital Review Committee at the U.S. Department of Justice.

The committee will review information provided by the U.S. attorney and by defense counsel and may schedule a conference with both parties....

Status conferences are typically held in the judge's chambers, but because this is such a high-profile case, the judge is holding it in the courtroom and it's open to the public."

Synagogue shooting suspect's defense team to appear in court Tuesday

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[JerseyGirl]

New developments are expected Tuesday morning in the case against the man charged in the mass shooting at a Squirrel Hill synagogue.

Robert Bowers will not attend today’s status conference at the federal courthouse in Downtown Pittsburgh.

Today’s status conference will begin at 10 a.m.

Pre-Trial Meeting To Be Held In Federal Case Against Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers

 

[YESorNO]

Pre-Trial Meeting Held In Federal Case Against Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers (with clip)

December 11, 2018

"PITTSBURGH (KDKA) –...Robert Bowers was not in court today....

They are also in the process of preparing and filing motions that the judge will decide before trial. Dec. 18 was the deadline for motions to be filed.

Today, defense counsel requested that date be extended.

The judge granted a 120-day extension, which now makes the motion deadline April 18, 2019.

Bowers is accused of 44 federal crimes stemming from the mass shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue on Oct. 27. Eleven people were killed and several others were injured, including four police officers.

The charges are as follows:

-Eleven counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death

-Eleven counts of use and discharge of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence

-Two counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury

-Eleven counts of use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence

-Eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon, and resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer

-One count of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury to a public safety officer

Of the charges, 32 carry a maximum penalty of death.

U.S. Attorney Scott Brady has already begun the process of pursuing the death penalty in Bowers’ case....

Currently, there is no scheduled date for trial."

Pre-Trial Meeting Held In Federal Case Against Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers
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[YESorNO]

Listen: Robert Bowers Pre-Trial Meeting Update

"KDKA Radio's Joe DeStio reported on the status conference that was held today by Senior US District Judge Donetta Ambrose for Robert Bowers, the man responsible for the horrific Tree of Life Synagogue shooting. Joe DeStio tells Dan Zangrilli that the federal judge granted the prosecution and defense attorney’s more time to review the evidence in the case."

Robert Bowers Pre-Trial Meeting Update
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[YESorNO]

The Boston Bomber’s lawyer is now repping the Pittsburgh massacre suspect

Jan. 9, 2019

"The man accused of killing 11 people inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue is now being represented by Judy Clarke, a high-profile defense attorney and federal death penalty expert.

Clarke has represented some of the most notorious criminals in U.S. history and demonstrated an uncanny ability to see their lives spared by the criminal justice system. By representing Robert Bowers, Clarke is taking on yet another high-profile client accused on unspeakable violence and facing the prospect of the death penalty in return.

A motion to appoint Clarke as Bowers’ defense attorney was granted by presiding district Judge Donetta Ambrose on Dec. 27....

Bowers previously requested court-appointed attorneys, telling the court he could not afford his own. He is currently being represented by the Federal Public Defender’s Office.

In his request for additional counsel, which led to Clarke being appointed to his legal team, Bowers asked for a lawyer “learned in the law of the death penalty” to round out his defense. Ambrose’s order granting his request notes that Bowers’ attorney with the Federal Public Defender’s Office suggested Clarke be made the appointee....

Clarke works mostly for free, or pro bono, in cases like this one, although the nature of her arrangement in the Bowers case is not made clear by court filings.

Bowers is facing 44 federal counts, 32 of which carry the potential for the death penalty."

The Boston Bomber’s lawyer is now repping the Pittsburgh massacre suspect
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[Indy Anna]

19 New Charges Filed Against Alleged Tree Of Life Synagogue Shooter | HuffPost

Robert Bowers, 46, now faces a total of 63 criminal counts for allegedly perpetuating the worst anti-Semitic attack in American history.

In all, the charges against him include obstruction of the free exercise of religious beliefs, hate crimes resulting in death, hate crimes involving an attempt to kill and 25 counts of discharging a firearm.

more...

 

[YESorNO]

Justice Department‏Verified account @TheJusticeDept Jan 29
Additional Charges Filed in Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

Robert Bowers Charged with 63 Counts Including Hate Crimes Resulting in Death

January 29, 2019

"...Specifically, the Superseding Indictment charges:

-Eleven counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs resulting in death;
-Eleven counts of hate crimes resulting in death;
-Two counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury;
-Two counts of hate crimes involving an attempt to kill;
-Eight counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving an attempt to kill and use of a dangerous weapon, and resulting in bodily injury to public safety officers;
-Four counts of obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs involving use of a dangerous weapon and resulting in bodily injury to public safety officers;
-Twenty-five counts of discharge of a firearm during these crimes of violence....

Twenty-two counts in the Superseding Indictment are capital-eligible offenses. Should the Attorney General of the United States determine that the circumstances of the offenses are such that a sentence of death is justified, the law requires that notice be filed with the court at a reasonable time before trial. The defendant further faces a maximum possible penalty of life without parole, followed by a consecutive sentence of 250 years’ imprisonment.

A Superseding Indictment is a formal accusation of conduct, not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."

Additional Charges Filed in Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting

Superseding Indictment :

https://www.justice.gov/opa/press-release/file/1125336/download

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[YESorNO]

Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers To Be Arraigned Monday (with clip)

February 8, 2019

"PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Robert Bowers, who is accused of killing 11 people at the Tree of Life Synagogue in October, will be arraigned Monday.

Officials say Bowers is scheduled to be arraigned on the 63-count Superseding Indictment returned on Jan. 29.

The arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert C. Mitchell...."

Synagogue Shooting Suspect Robert Bowers To Be Arraigned Monday

 

[YESorNO]

MEGHAN SCHILLER‏Verified account @MeghanKDKA 39m39 minutes ago
#NEW: Robert Bowers, the acused Tree of Life gunman, will face new indictment charges this morning in federal court. I’ll be inside the courtroom. Coming up on @KDKA this AM- 5-7 #kdka #TreeofLife #synagogueshooting

 

[YESorNO]

Andy Sheehan‏Verified account @AndySheehankdka 29m29 minutes ago
High-profile defense attorney Judy Clarke appearing first time representing accused Tree of Life shooter Robert Bowers.


Megan Guza‏Verified account @meganguzaTrib 10m10 minutes ago
Accused Tree of Life gunman Robert Bowers pleads not guilty to a superseding indictment filed last month in federal court. His attorney, Judy Clarke (who has repped such suspects as Unabomber, Boston marathon suspect), noted she is hopeful for a resolution without a trial.


MEGHAN SCHILLER‏Verified account @MeghanKDKA 8m8 minutes ago
#BREAKING: Robert Bowers, accused #TreeofLife gunman enters a not guilty plea, requests a trial by jury. @KDKA
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[YESorNO]

MEGHAN SCHILLER‏Verified account @MeghanKDKA 17m17 minutes ago
Coming up-we asked Judy Clarke- Robert Bowers’ defense attorney- to explain her philosophy for defending defendants like this. She didn’t answer. She’s represented the Unabomber & Boston Marathon Bomber, among others, and prevented them from facing the #deathpenalty. @KDKA

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Attorney for Robert Bowers hopes to resolve Tree of Life case without trial

Feb. 11, 2019

"Accused Tree of Life gunman Robert Bowers pleaded not guilty Monday to new hate crime charges filed against him, and his renowned attorney, Judy Clarke, expressed interest in a plea deal rather than a trial.

Bowers – with his feet shackled together and his wrists shackled to his waist – wore a red jail-issue jumpsuit and was clean-shaven.

He appeared alert and answered questions from prosecutors and the judge confidently, responding “yes” when asked if he’d read the charges against him.

Clarke, a San Diego-based attorney with a reputation for keeping notorious killers from the death penalty , joined Bowers’ defense counsel last month. Among her former clients are Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, and Zacarias Moussaoui, convicted of helping mastermind the September 11 attacks.

Upon entering Bowers’ plea of not guilty to the 63 federal charges against him, Clarke noted the defense is “hopeful for a resolution without (going to) trial.”

In the meantime, however, he has pleaded not guilty and requested a jury trial....

The hearing lasted about 10 minutes. Clarke declined to speak as she left the federal courthouse on Grant Street.

Two congregants for Dor Hadash, one of the congregations within the synagogue, attended the hearing...."

Attorney for Robert Bowers hopes to resolve Tree of Life case without trial

(Jon Pushinsky, congregant for Dor Hadash, one of the congregations within the synagogue, said Dor Hadash congregant and President-elect Donna Coufal attended the hearing.)
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[YESorNO]

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers pleads not guilty to new charges
Bowers now faces 63 charges after pleading not guilty to 44 others in November

Feb 11, 2019

"....On Monday, Robert Bowers pleaded not guilty to 19 additional federal charges of hate crimes, as well as the obstruction of free exercise of religious beliefs and discharging a firearm....

While appearing at a Pittsburgh federal courthouse on Monday, Bowers also requested a trial by jury....

If convicted, Mr Bowers could face a life prison sentence without parole. Prosecutors, however, said they intend to pursue the death penalty but it would have to be approved by the attorney general first."

Pittsburgh synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers pleads not guilty
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[YESorNO]

Wife of rabbi who survived Tree of Life shooting opposes death penalty

February 20, 2019

"The wife of a rabbi who narrowly escaped the October shooting rampage at Tree of Life synagogue doesn’t want prosecutors to seek the death penalty against alleged gunman Robert Bowers.

In an op-ed piece published Wednesday by the Jerusalem Post, Beth Kissileff writes that she hopes Bowers is convicted and sentenced to life without parole. Kissileff is a writer and novelist.

“I have no way of knowing whether the Pittsburgh shooter is capable of redemptive behavior, but I know from both Talmudic and contemporary sources that humans are capable of it,” she wrote. “The best punishment, in my mind, would be to give the shooter a sentence and an opportunity to abjure his hateful beliefs about Jews and immigrants and work for tolerance and valuing diversity in our country.”...

Prosecutors are considering the death penalty, but have yet to make a decision, according to Margaret Philbin, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh. Philbin said the decision ultimately rests with the U.S. attorney general....

“I won’t hold my breath waiting for (Bowers) to emulate Derek Black, but Black’s example shows that it is certainly possible. Calling for the death penalty means there is no possibility for the shooter to repent, to change or to improve. I would rather not foreclose that possibility of change, slim as it may be, by putting someone to death,” Kissileff wrote."

Wife of rabbi who survived Tree of Life shooting opposes death penalty | TribLIVE.com
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WIFE OF PITTSBURGH RABBI: NO DEATH PENALTY FOR ANTISEMITIC SHOOTER
The evil of the shooter who took their lives is beyond human reckoning. And yet, I hope the prosecutors do not pursue the death penalty.

FEBRUARY 20, 2019

Wife of Pittsburgh rabbi: No death penalty for antisemitic shooter
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[YESorNO]

OVER $6 MILLION RAISED FOR VICTIMS OF PITTSBURGH SYNAGOGUE MASSACRE

MARCH 6, 2019

"PITTSBURGH (AP)-A $6.3 million fund established after the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre will primarily be split among the families of the dead and survivors of the worst attack on Jews in U.S. history, organizers announced Tuesday.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh set up the Victims of Terror Fund after the Oct. 27 attack at Tree of Life synagogue that killed 11 and wounded seven. The fund took in more than 8,500 donations from 48 states and at least eight countries.

The donations are “expressions of love, generosity, compassion and a desire to help in the healing process,” the independent committee overseeing the fund wrote in its report Tuesday. The committee acknowledged that “no amount of money can compensate for the loss of a loved one’s life” or “completely heal our hearts or our communities.”

Most of the money, about $4.4 million, will be given to those most directly affected by the attack, including victims’ families and two seriously injured congregants. The committee awarded about $437,000 to nine congregants who were trapped inside Tree of Life, “fearing for their own lives and, in some cases, watching relatives and friends being murdered,” the report said. Police officers who were shot and wounded while responding will split $500,000.

The committee also set aside $650,000 for the three congregations that share space at Tree of Life and were gathered for Sabbath services when the gunman walked in and opened fire. Some of that money will pay for repairs to the heavily damaged synagogue, which the committee noted will be “a costly, complicated and extended process.” The balance of the fund, $300,000, will be given to a future memorial, as well as an education initiative.

The fund stopped accepting donations Feb. 27...."

Over $6 million raised for victims of Pittsburgh synagogue massacre - wcn247.com
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[YESorNO]

Judge considers extra time for discovery in Tree of Life murder case

March 19, 2019

"A judge overseeing the federal prosecution of accused Tree of Life gunman Robert Bowers on Tuesday agreed to consider granting attorneys an additional 120 days to trade evidence.

Bowers, 46, who is being held without bond, did not appear for the short status conference in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh’s Downtown.

Judge Donetta W. Ambrose scheduled the next status conference for April 15...."

Judge considers extra time for discovery in Tree of Life murder case | TribLIVE.com

 

[YESorNO]

Attorneys For Synagogue Shooting Suspect Back In Court

March 20, 2019

"Attorneys for the man accused in the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting were in a Pittsburgh courtroom on Tuesday but suspect Robert Bowers was not.

The lawyers were in court for a status conference at the federal courthouse.

Bowers’ defense attorney Judy Clarke asked the judge for an extra 120 days to review the case due to its unusual and complex nature. The U.S. Attorney’s Office doesn’t plan to oppose that request....

The next status conference is scheduled for April 15."

Attorneys For Synagogue Shooting Suspect Back In Court | ButlerRadio.com – Butler, PA

 

[YESorNO]

If convicted, Robert Bowers could face death penalty — but not necessarily execution

April 1, 2019

"Robert Bowers could become the only person from Western Pennsylvania on federal death row if he is convicted and sentenced to death for the mass shooting inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue last year.

But with an attorney known for sparing the most notorious killers from the execution chamber, added to the fact that so few people are put to death by the federal government and with a process that could take decades, whether Bowers would ever be executed remains to be seen, legal experts told the Tribune-Review...."

If convicted, Robert Bowers could face death penalty — but not necessarily execution | TribLIVE.com

 

[YESorNO]

Plea talks could resolve gun case against white nationalist

APRIL 10, 2019

"Plea agreement negotiations are underway to resolve gun-related charges against a self-described white nationalist from Washington, D.C., whose relatives reported concerns about his behavior after last year's Pittsburgh synagogue massacre, according to a court filing Wednesday.

Federal prosecutors and a public defender representing Jeffrey Clark Jr. have been negotiating since last November and have taken "some substantial steps" that increase the likelihood of a deal, the filing says.

A federal judge agreed to postpone a status hearing for Clark's case from Thursday to May 3, giving attorneys more time.
Clark pleaded not guilty to illegally possessing firearms and high-capacity magazines for rifle ammunition.

The FBI said Clark followed synagogue shooting suspect Robert Bowers on the Gab social media platform and referred to him as a "hero" in a post after the Oct. 27 shootings. Bowers spewed anti-Semitic hatred on his Gab account before killing 11 people inside the synagogue, authorities said...."

Plea talks could resolve gun case against white nationalist