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School shooter convicted again - 10 years later

eyesopened

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How did he get off with an "adjudicated" record -- meaning he could own firearms." after having committed a crime with firearms?

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/01/29/jonesboro.shooter.ap/index.html

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas (AP) [/b]-- A federal jury convicted a 23-year-old man on an obscure weapons charge Tuesday, apparently unaware that 10 years ago he and another boy killed four classmates and a teacher in a schoolyard ambush.


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Mitchell Johnson, who killed classmates and a teacher 10 years ago, was convicted of a gun charge Tuesday.

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Mitchell Johnson faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine when he is sentenced in the next 45 days on a count of possessing a firearm while being a drug user. Through his attorney, Johnson declined to comment Tuesday.

Johnson was arrested on New Year's Day 2007 after police stopped his van and said they found a bag of marijuana in his pocket and a 9 mm pistol and a 20-gauge shotgun in two bags. Police said they stopped the van after getting an anonymous tip about drugs in the vehicle.

In 1998, Johnson, then 13, and 11-year-old schoolmate Andrew Golden opened fire as students and teachers left Jonesboro Westside Middle School after Golden pulled the fire alarm. The boys killed English teacher Shannon Wright and four students ages 11 and 12. They wounded 10 other people.

U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe told reporters after the verdict that lawyers picked the jury carefully. He said he was hopeful that if any jurors realized who Johnson was, they could separate the 1998 killings from last year's bust.

"We strongly believe that Mitchell Johnson is a person who should not have a gun," Balfe said. "Particularly, (he) shouldn't have a gun while using controlled substances."

Government lawyers did not bring up Johnson's violent past. The only clue during the two-day trial came during jury selection, when potential panelists were asked whether Johnson's name sounded familiar. Some jurors said they had heard the name but didn't know why.

Mitch Wright, the widower of the teacher killed March 24, 1998, watched Tuesday's court session along with his son Zane, who was 2 at the time of the shootings. The boy "wanted to see what this person looked like," Wright said during a break in the trial.

State courts sent Johnson and Golden to a juvenile prison until their 18th birthdays. Federal prosecutors then got them locked up until they turned 21. Johnson left prison with an "adjudicated" record -- meaning he could own firearms.

Prosecutors in the trial that ended Tuesday presented evidence that Johnson regularly used marijuana. The defense offered drug tests that showed no drug usage by Johnson and testimony from witnesses who said they had never seen Johnson use drugs or possess drug paraphernalia.

A prosecution witness testified Tuesday that Johnson often smoked marijuana, but he later acknowledged that he lied under oath when he denied that he personally owned a gun.

Dustin David Wynboom said that he and Johnson smoked marijuana once every week or two and that they once smoked marijuana while working at a local Wal-Mart. Wynboom, 21, of Springdale, said he also saw Johnson's handgun and said Johnson told him "he needed it for protection, that people were after him."

Wynboom denied ever owning a handgun himself when questioned by Johnson's lawyer, John B. Schisler, prompting a long recess. When court resumed, Wynboom admitted he lied under oath.

"I was scared I was going to incriminate myself," Wynboom said.

Another Wal-Mart co-worker, Michael Lindsey, testified Johnson often discussed smoking marijuana and sometimes appeared to be high at work. Lindsey later admitted getting so drunk at a party with Johnson and other Wal-Mart employees that he fell down the stairs.

A senior chemist with the state Crime Laboratory took the stand again Tuesday and acknowledged that an initial exam of material found in Johnson's pocket came back negative for marijuana, although a lab worker mistakenly recorded the results as positive. Chemist Gary Dallas said he tested the material again last week, confirming that it was 21 grams of marijuana.
 

hogleg

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I am sorry but if you kill people intentionally I don't feel you have a right to live, let alone have a gun after you get out of the pokey. I can see maybe some review reprieve if you stole a car or something non violent. Murder.....No way!



How does some official decide he gets his guns back when all over the country you have people wanting to take away guns fromaverage law abiding folks for doing nothing other than not having it stored properly or not carrying it properly. Gasp, not taking it completely apart and locking it in a safe.
 

cREbralFIX

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My view is this:

If someone is out of prison, then that person gets all their rights.

If they're not out, then they don't get all their rights.

DO NOT LET PEOPLE OUT WHO SHOULD NOT BE OUT.
 

nofoa

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I agree with cREbralFIX

When you are convicted of a crime you lose your rights as a human. After your term is up and you are released you get all your rights back.

Violent criminals should serve their full prison sentances.
 

LEO 229

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It is a true shame that in this country you can actually kill one or more people and be set free on society again....

What we do not need is for a mass murderer to have his hands on more guns to repeat history. Who out there is really willing to risk being his next victim. He is using drugs and is armed so he is not a model citizen.

I strongly believe that if you ever.. at any age... intentionally kill someone you should NEVER be set free. If you kill more than one person.. you should NEVER EVER be set free.
 

Hef

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Cold-blooded murderers should never be free to prey upon society again, whether their freedom is taken by a set of bars or lethal injection. They are a cancer on society.
 

kurtmax_0

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I disagree about him not being able to own firearms. I've said this a million times: If they shouldn't own firearms, they shouldn't own a pointy stick, or be in public.

In addition, being a Juvenile case he was even adjudicated....
 

tarzan1888

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LEO 229 wrote:
.......I strongly believe that if you ever.. at any age... intentionally kill someone you should NEVER be set free. If you kill more than one person.. you should NEVER EVER be set free.
I agree.

This guy was able to distinguish between right and wrong when he killed those people. He should be in a pot and not packing pot.

I feel that people who have committed crimes should be punished accordingly and when they have served their time they should have all rights as they have paid their debt.

We should never have to worry about murderers having guns as they should have paid for their crime with their life.

The taking away of the right to bear arms for felons came about as a result of the inability of the government to successfully stop organized crime in the 20's and 30's. They finally found a way to get these gangsters on lesser crimes and then when they later caught them with a gun they could put them away again.

I applaud their ingenuity, but the end does not justify the means.



Tarzan
 

hogleg

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Just to clarify my comment I feel one gets all rights back when time is served for non violent non- firearms related crimes. If you murder someoneyou belong behind bars or on the end of a rope forever.I don't care how old you are when you did it.

No plea deals or bargains.
 

Legba

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Whereas it's hard to feel any sympathy for this guy, it's remarkable that what would only be a minor misdemeanor marijuana possession charge here turned into a 10-year sentence because of the guns. They said that they didn't introduce evidence of his past violent history. I don't know why an "adjudicated" disposition restores one's civil rights to the extent of allowing gun ownership in a case like this. That wouldn't wash in Ohio. Damned peculiar.

I've also noticed that vans and guns don't seem to mix much better than guns and drugs (he hit the trifecta)... Just make sure you have locked cases for your goodies and/or a permit if you drive a van. A lot of jurisdictions have a proximity standard for guns and ammo.

-ljp
 

MetalChris

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eyes opened wrote:
Police said they stopped the van after getting an anonymous tip about drugs in the vehicle.
Nice. It's reassuring to know that the popo can pull me over because some douchebag says I might have a little bit of weed in my car. Not that I would ever have weed in my car, but I don't want Special Officer Doofy pulling me over and performing a felony stop because of something some dirtbag said.
 

WhiteFeather

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I hate to be the tolling voice of obvious but I don't think it would matter if he was legally allowed to buy a gun or not. If someone and by someone I mean anyone and that would include those who should not be among the living wish to own a firearm or any other tool that could be used in wrong they will obtain it. And that is why gun laws only harm the lawful...

As for this trash there is not a doubt in my mind that the gallows would have been a more fitting punishment.
 

LEO 229

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WhiteFeather wrote:
I hate to be the tolling voice of obvious but I don't think it would matter if he was legally allowed to buy a gun or not. If someone and by someone I mean anyone and that would include those who should not be among the living wish to own a firearm or any other tool that could be used in wrong they will obtain it. And that is why gun laws only harm the lawful...

As for this trash there is not a doubt in my mind that the gallows would have been a more fitting punishment.
Going to have to agree!!!
 

hamourkiller

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My guess is that some of the victims families are keeping an eye on this scum and they dropped the dime on him.

Hopefully one of em will put an 30-06 in his guts one dark day, then justice will have been served.
 
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