Jared Lee Loughner
Encyclopedia
Jared Lee Loughner is an American man who is charged with the January 8, 2011 Tucson, Arizona shooting
that killed six people, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge
John Roll. The shooting also left 14 others injured, including U.S. Representative
Gabrielle Giffords
. He has been indicted
on 49 counts by federal grand juries
in Arizona.
in 2006. Around this time, those who knew him noted a change in his personality. Kelsey Hawkes, who dated Loughner for several months in high school, would later say she could not believe it was him after hearing of his arrest. "I've always known him as the sweet, caring Jared", said Hawkes, 21, then a student at the University of Arizona
.
At some point, Loughner was fired from his job at a Quiznos restaurant, with his manager saying he underwent a personality transformation. After this, Loughner briefly volunteered at a local animal shelter
, walking dogs, but he was asked not to return. The shelter manager later said, "He was walking dogs in an area we didn't want dogs walked... He didn't understand or comprehend what the supervisor was trying to tell him. He was just resistant to that information."
According to court records, Loughner had had two previous offenses: in October 2007, he was cited in Pima County for possession of drug paraphernalia
(which was dismissed after he completed a diversion program
); and on October 13, 2008, he was charged after defacing a street sign in Marana
, near Tucson (also dismissed following the completion of a diversion program in March 2009).
and drugs
, specifically Salvia divinorum
(a natural and legal hallucinogen). Another longtime friend, Kylie Smith, added that he had used cannabis
(marijuana), psychedelic mushrooms
, and LSD around that same time. Loughner quit using marijuana (as well as alcohol and tobacco) in late 2008 and has not used it since, according to one of his longtime friends. The U.S. Army
confirmed that Loughner had been rejected as "unqualified" for service in 2008. According to military sources, Loughner admitted to marijuana use on numerous occasions during the application process.
From February to September 2010, while a student at Pima Community College
, Loughner had five contacts with college police for classroom and library disruptions. On September 29, 2010, college police also discovered a YouTube
video shot by Loughner, in which his spoken commentary stated that the college was illegal according to the United States Constitution
. He described his school as "one of the biggest scams in America". The video led to Loughner being suspended from the school. The college told Loughner that if he wanted to come back to school, he needed to resolve his code of conduct
violations and obtain a mental health
clearance (indicating, in the opinion of a mental health professional, that his presence did not constitute a danger to himself or others). On October 4, Loughner and his parents met with campus administrators and Loughner indicated he would withdraw from the college. During Loughner's time at Pima, a teacher and a classmate both said they thought he might commit a school shooting.
channel under an account called "Classitup10" was linked to Loughner.
One classmate stated that Loughner had laughed at a young woman and likened her to a terrorist
after she read a poem about getting an abortion
. Classmates also recalled Loughner as having espoused atheistic
and nihilistic
views.
According to an old friend, Bryce Tierney, Loughner had exhibited a longstanding dislike for Gabrielle Giffords
, a Blue Dog Democrat
, stating that women should not hold positions of power. He repeatedly derided Giffords as a "fake". This belief intensified after he attended her August 25, 2007 event when she did not, in his view, sufficiently answer his question: "What is government if words have no meaning?" (Loughner kept Giffords' form letter
, which thanked him for attending the 2007 event, in the same box as an envelope which was scrawled with phrases like "die bitch" and "assassination plans have been made".) Zane Gutierrez, a friend, later told the New York Times that Loughner's anger would also "well up at the sight of President George W. Bush
, or in discussing what he considered to be the nefarious designs of government."
Loughner's best friend, Zach Osler, said, "He did not watch TV; he disliked the news; he didn't listen to political radio; he didn't take sides; he wasn't on the Left
; he wasn't on the Right
." Osler also noted that conspiracy theories
had a profound effect on Loughner, particularly the online conspiracy theory film Zeitgeist: The Movie, which friends claimed Loughner held an obsession with. He was a member of the conspiracy theory message board, "Above Top Secret
," although members of the site did not respond warmly to his posts. Loughner espoused such controversial ideas as: the United States Government was responsible for the September 11 attacks
; a New World Order would bring about a one world currency; there would be a 2012 apocalypse; NASA
had faked spaceflight
s; and that the government was using mind control
and grammar to brainwash people (who are unaware that "nothing is real"). Reports appearing after the shooting noted similarities between the statements made by Loughner (concerning grammar and mind control) and the views of conspiracy theorist, David Wynn Miller
.
Loughner also became obsessed with controlling what he perceived to be lucid dreams.
used in the shooting from a Sportsman's Warehouse
in Tucson on November 30, 2010. The night before the shooting, he left a message on a friend's voicemail
saying, "Hey man, it's Jared. Me and you had good times. Peace out. Later." In a MySpace
post the morning of the shooting at 4:12 am, he wrote,
Photos on the MySpace page showed a close-up picture of a handgun sitting atop a document titled, "United States History."
(UTC
-7), Loughner went to a Walmart store in the Foothills Mall to purchase ammunition, but left that store and completed his purchase at a Walmart on North Cortaro Road at 7:28 am. He was stopped by an Arizona Game and Fish Department
officer at 7:34 am MST for running a red light, but once the officer determined there were no outstanding warrants for Loughner, he was allowed to proceed to his destination with a warning to drive carefully. Loughner then took a taxi to a Safeway
supermarket location in Casas Adobes
, where Rep.Giffords was holding a constituents meeting. The shooting occurred at 10:10 am MST. Loughner allegedly opened fire on Giffords, as well as numerous bystanders, killing six people. Thirteen other people were injured by gunfire, and one person was injured while fleeing the scene of the shooting. Giffords, the apparent target of the attack, was shot in the head and left in critical condition.
," as he was taken into custody. A photograph taken by the Pima County Sheriff's Office's forensic unit was released to the media on January 10, 2011 and published on front pages nationwide. The Washington Post described the picture as "smirking and creepy, with hollow eyes ablaze," while the art director for the New York Times stated it was placed on the front page because it "was the picture of the day [...] it was intense and arresting. It invited you to look and study, and wonder."
of a member of Congress, two counts of murder of a federal employee (including Judge Roll), and two counts of attempting to murder a federal employee. He was indicted
on three of the charges on January 19, 2011. Loughner was held without bail
in the Federal Correctional Institution at Phoenix
, kept isolated from other inmates 23 hours a day and allowed out of his cell for just one hour a day to shower and exercise. On February 24, 2011, he was transferred to the United States Penitentiary in Tucson.
Attorney Judy Clarke
, a former federal public defender
who in the past has represented suspects in several high profile murder and terrorism cases, was appointed to represent Loughner in federal court. The entire federal judiciary of the state of Arizona recused themselves from hearing the case because of their ties to victim and fellow judge, John Roll. At the direction of Ninth Circuit Appeals court
Chief Judge Kozinski
, the federal case will be heard by San Diego-based Judge Larry Alan Burns
(from the Southern District of California
). Federal prosecutors have opposed motions to move the case outside of Arizona because of pre-trial publicity; with that decision to be made by Chief Judge Roslyn O. Silver
, who succeeded Roll in the federal district of Arizona.
Prosecutors representing Arizona, which has concurrent jurisdiction
in the matter, have announced they intend to file murder and attempted murder charges on behalf of the other victims, those who were not members of Congress or federal employees (although they could legally file charges on behalf of all the victims). Arizona law does not permit a verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity", but does allow for a verdict of "guilty but insane."
in Phoenix
, before Judge Burns from San Diego. Loughner, whose hair had partially regrown since his arrest, smiled while presented with the charges related to the shooting, including the attempted killing of Giffords and two of her aides. Loughner's attorney, Judy Clarke, requested that Judge Burns select a plea on her client's behalf, to which a plea of not guilty was recorded. When Burns asked Clarke if Loughner understood the charges against him, she replied that they were "not raising that issue" at the time. She also did not object to a request by prosecutors to have future hearings moved back to Tucson. On March 3, 2011, a federal grand jury indicted Loughner on additional charges of murder and attempted murder for a total of 49 counts. On March 9, 2011, Loughner pleaded not guilty to all 49 charges.
with schizophrenia
, undergoes psychiatric treatment at the psychiatric wing of the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri
. He was scheduled to appear in court on September 21, 2011, but that hearing was delayed until September 28, 2011, when the judge reviewed whether he could understand the charges against him and could assist in his own defense. (Loughner’s lawyers unsuccessfully objected to him appearing at the hearing.) Loughner disrupted the court hearing with an outburst, and was carried from the court room. According to the New York Times, Loughner believes he succeeded in killing Giffords, and clashed with his lawyer when she informed him that the congresswoman had survived.
Loughner with antipsychotic
drugs in order to make him fit to stand trial. However, on July 12, 2011, a three-judge federal appeals panel ruled that Loughner can refuse anti-psychotic medication, since he "has not been convicted of a crime, [and] is presumptively innocent and is therefore entitled to greater constitutional protections than a convicted inmate." Then, on July 27, 2011, a federal appeals panel reversed the earlier ruling and stated authorities can force Loughner to take anti-psychotic medication. On August 30 another hearing was held in a federal appeals court to decide whether antipsychotic medication would continue to be administered to Loughner, with a ruling to be rendered sometime thereafter.
2011 Tucson shooting
On January 8, 2011, a mass shooting occurred near Tucson, Arizona. Nineteen people were shot, six of them fatally, with one other person injured at the scene during an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with members of her constituency in a Casas Adobes Safeway...
that killed six people, including Chief U.S. District Court Judge
United States federal judge
In the United States, the title of federal judge usually means a judge appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate in accordance with Article II of the United States Constitution....
John Roll. The shooting also left 14 others injured, including U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
. He has been indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
on 49 counts by federal grand juries
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
in Arizona.
Personal background
Loughner is the only child of Randy and Amy Loughner. They were described by a neighbor as a very private family. While Loughner had friends in high school, neighbors noted that in the years following he would keep to himself and not respond to others.Behavior change
Loughner attended Mountain View High School, and dropped outDropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
in 2006. Around this time, those who knew him noted a change in his personality. Kelsey Hawkes, who dated Loughner for several months in high school, would later say she could not believe it was him after hearing of his arrest. "I've always known him as the sweet, caring Jared", said Hawkes, 21, then a student at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
.
At some point, Loughner was fired from his job at a Quiznos restaurant, with his manager saying he underwent a personality transformation. After this, Loughner briefly volunteered at a local animal shelter
Animal shelter
An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless, lost, or abandoned animals; primarily a large variety of dogs and cats.Parrots, for example, are the third most common pet owned by people...
, walking dogs, but he was asked not to return. The shelter manager later said, "He was walking dogs in an area we didn't want dogs walked... He didn't understand or comprehend what the supervisor was trying to tell him. He was just resistant to that information."
According to court records, Loughner had had two previous offenses: in October 2007, he was cited in Pima County for possession of drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia
Drug paraphernalia is a term used, often with a slightly negative connotation due to its use in criminal law field e.g. "possession of drug paraphernalia", to denote any equipment, product, or material that is modified for making, using, or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes...
(which was dismissed after he completed a diversion program
Diversion program
A diversion program in the criminal justice system is a program run by a police department, court, a district attorney's office, or outside agency designed to enable alleged offenders of criminal law to avoid criminal charges and a criminal record...
); and on October 13, 2008, he was charged after defacing a street sign in Marana
Marana, Arizona
Marana is a town in Pima County, Arizona, located northwest of Tucson, with a small portion in Pinal County. According to the 2010 census, the population of the town is 34,961...
, near Tucson (also dismissed following the completion of a diversion program in March 2009).
Drug and alcohol use
Zach Osler, a high school classmate of Loughner's, and his closest friend, indicated that Loughner's life began to unravel after his high school girlfriend broke up with him, and he then began to abuse alcoholAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
and drugs
Drug abuse
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, refers to a maladaptive pattern of use of a substance that is not considered dependent. The term "drug abuse" does not exclude dependency, but is otherwise used in a similar manner in nonmedical contexts...
, specifically Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a psychoactive plant which can induce dissociative effects and is a potent producer of "visions" and other hallucinatory experiences...
(a natural and legal hallucinogen). Another longtime friend, Kylie Smith, added that he had used cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
(marijuana), psychedelic mushrooms
Psilocybin mushroom
Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compounds psilocybin and psilocin. There are multiple colloquial terms for psilocybin mushrooms, the most common being shrooms or magic mushrooms....
, and LSD around that same time. Loughner quit using marijuana (as well as alcohol and tobacco) in late 2008 and has not used it since, according to one of his longtime friends. The U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
confirmed that Loughner had been rejected as "unqualified" for service in 2008. According to military sources, Loughner admitted to marijuana use on numerous occasions during the application process.
Suspension from school
Pima Community College
Pima Community College is an American two-year institution of higher education in Pima County, Arizona serving the Tucson metropolitan area. The community college district consists of six campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learning centers. It provides traditional and...
, Loughner had five contacts with college police for classroom and library disruptions. On September 29, 2010, college police also discovered a YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video shot by Loughner, in which his spoken commentary stated that the college was illegal according to the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
. He described his school as "one of the biggest scams in America". The video led to Loughner being suspended from the school. The college told Loughner that if he wanted to come back to school, he needed to resolve his code of conduct
Code of Conduct
A code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
violations and obtain a mental health
Mental health
Mental health describes either a level of cognitive or emotional well-being or an absence of a mental disorder. From perspectives of the discipline of positive psychology or holism mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and procure a balance between life activities and...
clearance (indicating, in the opinion of a mental health professional, that his presence did not constitute a danger to himself or others). On October 4, Loughner and his parents met with campus administrators and Loughner indicated he would withdraw from the college. During Loughner's time at Pima, a teacher and a classmate both said they thought he might commit a school shooting.
Expressed views
Records show that Loughner was registered as an independent voter and voted in 2006 and 2008, but not in 2010. A YouTubeYouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel under an account called "Classitup10" was linked to Loughner.
One classmate stated that Loughner had laughed at a young woman and likened her to a terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
after she read a poem about getting an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Classmates also recalled Loughner as having espoused atheistic
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
and nihilistic
Nihilism
Nihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
views.
According to an old friend, Bryce Tierney, Loughner had exhibited a longstanding dislike for Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Giffords
Gabrielle Dee "Gabby" Giffords is an American politician. A Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, she has represented since 2007. She is the third woman in Arizona's history to be elected to the U.S. Congress...
, a Blue Dog Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, stating that women should not hold positions of power. He repeatedly derided Giffords as a "fake". This belief intensified after he attended her August 25, 2007 event when she did not, in his view, sufficiently answer his question: "What is government if words have no meaning?" (Loughner kept Giffords' form letter
Form letter
A form letter is a letter written from a template, rather than being specially composed for a specific recipient. The most general kind of form letter consists of one or more regions of boilerplate text interspersed with one or more substitution placeholders.Although form letters are generally...
, which thanked him for attending the 2007 event, in the same box as an envelope which was scrawled with phrases like "die bitch" and "assassination plans have been made".) Zane Gutierrez, a friend, later told the New York Times that Loughner's anger would also "well up at the sight of President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, or in discussing what he considered to be the nefarious designs of government."
Loughner's best friend, Zach Osler, said, "He did not watch TV; he disliked the news; he didn't listen to political radio; he didn't take sides; he wasn't on the Left
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
; he wasn't on the Right
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
." Osler also noted that conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
had a profound effect on Loughner, particularly the online conspiracy theory film Zeitgeist: The Movie, which friends claimed Loughner held an obsession with. He was a member of the conspiracy theory message board, "Above Top Secret
Above Top Secret
Above Top Secret is a news discussion forum created by Simon Gray in 1999 as a discussion board for conspiracy, and a site for general information about conspiracy topics. Today Above top Secret is more commonly used to discuss current news articles as the Breaking News forum makes up the largest...
," although members of the site did not respond warmly to his posts. Loughner espoused such controversial ideas as: the United States Government was responsible for the September 11 attacks
9/11 conspiracy theories
9/11 conspiracy theories are theories that disagree with the widely accepted account that the September 11 attacks were perpetrated solely by al-Qaeda. These theories arose because of what proponents of the conspiracy theories believe to be inconsistencies in the official conclusions or some...
; a New World Order would bring about a one world currency; there would be a 2012 apocalypse; NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
had faked spaceflight
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
s; and that the government was using mind control
Mind control
Mind control refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator, often to the detriment of the person being manipulated"...
and grammar to brainwash people (who are unaware that "nothing is real"). Reports appearing after the shooting noted similarities between the statements made by Loughner (concerning grammar and mind control) and the views of conspiracy theorist, David Wynn Miller
David Wynn Miller
David Wynn Miller , also styled David-Wynn: Miller, is a former tool and die welder and current American activist in a tax protest group affiliated with the Sovereign Citizen Movement...
.
Loughner also became obsessed with controlling what he perceived to be lucid dreams.
Tucson shooting
Preparation
Loughner allegedly purchased the 9mm Glock pistolGlock pistol
The Glock pistol, sometimes referred to by the manufacturer as Glock "Safe Action" Pistol, is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Glock Ges.m.b.H., located in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria. The company's founder, engineer Gaston Glock, had no experience with firearm design or...
used in the shooting from a Sportsman's Warehouse
Sportsman's Warehouse
Sportsman's Warehouse is an outdoor sporting goods retailer which operates in 14 states across the United States, including Alaska. Sportsman's Warehouse sells apparel, footwear, and gear which caters to sportsmen and sportswomen with interests in hunting, shooting, reloading, camping, fishing, and...
in Tucson on November 30, 2010. The night before the shooting, he left a message on a friend's voicemail
Voicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
saying, "Hey man, it's Jared. Me and you had good times. Peace out. Later." In a MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
post the morning of the shooting at 4:12 am, he wrote,
Photos on the MySpace page showed a close-up picture of a handgun sitting atop a document titled, "United States History."
Carrying out the attack
On January 8, 2011, at 7:04 am MSTMountain Time Zone
The Mountain Time Zone of North America keeps time by subtracting seven hours from Coordinated Universal Time, also known as Greenwich Mean Time, during the shortest days of autumn and winter , and by subtracting six hours during daylight saving time in the spring, summer, and early autumn...
(UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
-7), Loughner went to a Walmart store in the Foothills Mall to purchase ammunition, but left that store and completed his purchase at a Walmart on North Cortaro Road at 7:28 am. He was stopped by an Arizona Game and Fish Department
Arizona Game and Fish Department
The Arizona Game and Fish Department is a state agency of Arizona, headquartered in Phoenix. The agency is tasked with conserving, enhancing, and restoring Arizona's diverse wildlife resources and habitats through aggressive protection and management programs...
officer at 7:34 am MST for running a red light, but once the officer determined there were no outstanding warrants for Loughner, he was allowed to proceed to his destination with a warning to drive carefully. Loughner then took a taxi to a Safeway
Safeway Inc.
Safeway Inc. , a Fortune 500 company, is North America's second largest supermarket chain after The Kroger Co., with, as of December 2010, 1,694 stores located throughout the western and central United States and western Canada. It also operates some stores in the Mid-Atlantic region of the Eastern...
supermarket location in Casas Adobes
Casas Adobes, Arizona
Casas Adobes is a census-designated place located in the northern metropolitan area of Tucson, Arizona . The population was 54,011 at the 2000 census...
, where Rep.Giffords was holding a constituents meeting. The shooting occurred at 10:10 am MST. Loughner allegedly opened fire on Giffords, as well as numerous bystanders, killing six people. Thirteen other people were injured by gunfire, and one person was injured while fleeing the scene of the shooting. Giffords, the apparent target of the attack, was shot in the head and left in critical condition.
Arrest
Loughner was subdued by bystanders and was arrested by police, saying, "I plead the FifthFifth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, protects against abuse of government authority in a legal procedure. Its guarantees stem from English common law which traces back to the Magna Carta in 1215...
," as he was taken into custody. A photograph taken by the Pima County Sheriff's Office's forensic unit was released to the media on January 10, 2011 and published on front pages nationwide. The Washington Post described the picture as "smirking and creepy, with hollow eyes ablaze," while the art director for the New York Times stated it was placed on the front page because it "was the picture of the day [...] it was intense and arresting. It invited you to look and study, and wonder."
Charged and imprisoned
Loughner was charged in federal court with one count of attempted assassinationAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
of a member of Congress, two counts of murder of a federal employee (including Judge Roll), and two counts of attempting to murder a federal employee. He was indicted
Indictment
An indictment , in the common-law legal system, is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that maintain the concept of felonies, the serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that lack the concept of felonies often use that of an indictable offence—an...
on three of the charges on January 19, 2011. Loughner was held without bail
Bail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
in the Federal Correctional Institution at Phoenix
Federal Correctional Institution, Phoenix
Federal Correctional Institution, Phoenix is a U.S. federal prison located in Phoenix, Arizona. Operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it is a medium-security facility housing male inmates and also has an adjacent satellite prison camp that houses minimum-security female offenders...
, kept isolated from other inmates 23 hours a day and allowed out of his cell for just one hour a day to shower and exercise. On February 24, 2011, he was transferred to the United States Penitentiary in Tucson.
Attorney Judy Clarke
Judy Clarke
Judy Clarke is an American criminal defense attorney who practices law in San Diego, California and has served as a public defender in many high-profile cases throughout the United States. Clarke has previously served as President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers...
, a former federal public defender
Public defender
The term public defender is primarily used to refer to a criminal defense lawyer appointed to represent people charged with a crime but who cannot afford to hire an attorney in the United States and Brazil. The term is also applied to some ombudsman offices, for example in Jamaica, and is one way...
who in the past has represented suspects in several high profile murder and terrorism cases, was appointed to represent Loughner in federal court. The entire federal judiciary of the state of Arizona recused themselves from hearing the case because of their ties to victim and fellow judge, John Roll. At the direction of Ninth Circuit Appeals court
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
Chief Judge Kozinski
Alex Kozinski
Alex Kozinski is Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, an essayist, and a judicial commentator.-Biography:...
, the federal case will be heard by San Diego-based Judge Larry Alan Burns
Larry Alan Burns
Larry Alan Burns is a United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of California.-Early life and education:...
(from the Southern District of California
United States District Court for the Southern District of California
The United States District Court for the Southern District of California is the federal district court whose jurisdiction comprises the following counties in California: Imperial and San Diego. In terms of filed indictments, it is one of the busiest criminal districts in the United States...
). Federal prosecutors have opposed motions to move the case outside of Arizona because of pre-trial publicity; with that decision to be made by Chief Judge Roslyn O. Silver
Roslyn O. Silver
Roslyn O. Silver is a United States federal judge who has served on the United States District Court for the District of Arizona since 1994. Silver became Chief Judge for the district in 2011.-Early life and education:...
, who succeeded Roll in the federal district of Arizona.
Prosecutors representing Arizona, which has concurrent jurisdiction
Concurrent jurisdiction
Concurrent jurisdiction exists where two or more courts from different systems simultaneously have jurisdiction over a specific case. This situation leads to forum shopping, as parties will try to have their civil or criminal case heard in the court that they perceive will be most favorable to...
in the matter, have announced they intend to file murder and attempted murder charges on behalf of the other victims, those who were not members of Congress or federal employees (although they could legally file charges on behalf of all the victims). Arizona law does not permit a verdict of "not guilty by reason of insanity", but does allow for a verdict of "guilty but insane."
Pleadings and additional charges
On January 24, 2011, Loughner appeared at the Sandra Day O'Connor U.S. CourthouseSandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse
The Sandra Day O'Connor United States Courthouse is a United States courthouse at 401 West Washington Street in Phoenix, Arizona. Pursuant to , enacted by the United States Congress, it is named after the former Supreme Court justice....
in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, before Judge Burns from San Diego. Loughner, whose hair had partially regrown since his arrest, smiled while presented with the charges related to the shooting, including the attempted killing of Giffords and two of her aides. Loughner's attorney, Judy Clarke, requested that Judge Burns select a plea on her client's behalf, to which a plea of not guilty was recorded. When Burns asked Clarke if Loughner understood the charges against him, she replied that they were "not raising that issue" at the time. She also did not object to a request by prosecutors to have future hearings moved back to Tucson. On March 3, 2011, a federal grand jury indicted Loughner on additional charges of murder and attempted murder for a total of 49 counts. On March 9, 2011, Loughner pleaded not guilty to all 49 charges.
Medico-legal issues
On May 25, 2011, Judge Burns ruled Loughner was then incompetent to stand trial. Court proceedings were suspended while Loughner, who has been diagnosedDiagnosis
Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of anything. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines with variations in the use of logics, analytics, and experience to determine the cause and effect relationships...
with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, undergoes psychiatric treatment at the psychiatric wing of the U.S. Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri
Springfield, Missouri
Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. According to the 2010 census data, the population was 159,498, an increase of 5.2% since the 2000 census. The Springfield Metropolitan Area, population 436,712, includes the counties of...
. He was scheduled to appear in court on September 21, 2011, but that hearing was delayed until September 28, 2011, when the judge reviewed whether he could understand the charges against him and could assist in his own defense. (Loughner’s lawyers unsuccessfully objected to him appearing at the hearing.) Loughner disrupted the court hearing with an outburst, and was carried from the court room. According to the New York Times, Loughner believes he succeeded in killing Giffords, and clashed with his lawyer when she informed him that the congresswoman had survived.
Forced medication rulings
On June 26, 2011, Judge Burns ruled that prison doctors could forcibly medicateInvoluntary treatment
Involuntary treatment refers to medical treatment undertaken without a person's consent. In almost all circumstances, involuntary treatment refers to psychiatric treatment administered despite an individual's objections...
Loughner with antipsychotic
Antipsychotic
An antipsychotic is a tranquilizing psychiatric medication primarily used to manage psychosis , particularly in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. A first generation of antipsychotics, known as typical antipsychotics, was discovered in the 1950s...
drugs in order to make him fit to stand trial. However, on July 12, 2011, a three-judge federal appeals panel ruled that Loughner can refuse anti-psychotic medication, since he "has not been convicted of a crime, [and] is presumptively innocent and is therefore entitled to greater constitutional protections than a convicted inmate." Then, on July 27, 2011, a federal appeals panel reversed the earlier ruling and stated authorities can force Loughner to take anti-psychotic medication. On August 30 another hearing was held in a federal appeals court to decide whether antipsychotic medication would continue to be administered to Loughner, with a ruling to be rendered sometime thereafter.
External links
- United States of America v. Jared Lee Loughner. U.S. District Court of ArizonaUnited States District Court for the District of ArizonaThe United States District Court for the District of Arizona is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of Arizona. Court is held in the cities of Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff, Yuma, and Prescott. The district was created on June 20, 1910, by 36 Stat. 557...
. January 9, 2011.- Designation of a District Judge. U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of AppealsUnited States Court of Appeals for the Ninth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit is a U.S. federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* District of Alaska* District of Arizona...
. January 12, 2011. - Indictment. U.S. District Court of Arizona. January 19, 2011.
- Designation of a District Judge. U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
- "Pima Community College Statement on Today's Tragic Events." Pima Community CollegePima Community CollegePima Community College is an American two-year institution of higher education in Pima County, Arizona serving the Tucson metropolitan area. The community college district consists of six campuses, four education centers, and several adult education learning centers. It provides traditional and...
. January 8, 2011.