Why No Terrorism Charges For Roof

Some media outlets1 lawyers public figures2 and activists3 have called for roof to be charged not just with a hate crime an illegal.

Why no terrorism charges for roof.

And south carolina is one of only six states that don t have race based hate crime penalty laws. He faces state murder charges but not terrorism charges. It s also why dylann roof who murdered nine african american worshipers at a charleston south carolina church in 2015 with the stated goal of starting a race war was sentenced to death for a range of federal and state crimes but was not charged with terrorism. Just over a month after roof committed what is arguably the most heinous act of anti black terrorism since the days of the civil rights movement a federal grand jury issued a 33 count.

Turns out it isn t that simple. The hate crime and terrorism statutes we looked at were federal laws and thus far roof has only been charged by the state of south carolina. Washington federal charges against dylann roof who allegedly massacred nine people at a historically black church in south carolina came swiftly. Critics have questioned why the justice department has not included charges of terrorism.

New york laws on terrorism. Fields faces state murder charges but not terrorism. In 2015 after white supremacist dylann roof shot nine black worshippers at a church in charleston south carolina for instance he was indicted on 33 counts some of them hate crimes but no domestic terrorism charges despite then attorney general loretta lynch describing the hate crimes as the original domestic terrorism. A new york terrorism defense attorney can help you to understand charges brought against you and can argue for the dismissal of charges that there is no evidence to support.

But the doj did not charge roof with domestic terrorism or include terrorism in the indictment. Even before the charges were announced questions were raised about fbi director james comey s reluctance to call the attack an act of domestic terrorism especially. Last week dylann roof was charged with 33 criminal acts including hate crimes and firearm violations for his killing spree at a historic african american church in charleston south carolina. The terrorism statute is also a federal law so it would be up to federal authorities to pursue those charges.

Article 490 of the new york penal code establishes the state laws on terrorism offenses. Under the laws of new york you may be charged with. General loretta lynch announced the charges in june.