sacbee: Cal ReportDefense attorneys say man charged in supremacist shootings
wrote 'psychotic' note
By LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special Correspondent
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- White supremacist Buford Furrow wrote "a psychotic note"
to himself repeating 129 times that he should kill another prison inmate,
his lawyers disclosed in a legal document filed late Wednesday afternoon.

The attorneys, who are attempting to block the government from seeking the
death penalty for Furrow in the murder of a Filipino postman, discounted the
idea that the note uncovered by jailers was a true threat on the life of the
Latino inmate, Raul Lopez.

"On the note, defendant had written 129 times, 'You must kill Lopez and all
of his protecting angels,"' the lawyers said.

"Apparently, the number 129 was arrived at by ascribing a numerical value,
one through 26, to each letter of the alphabet ... and adding up the values
of the words, 'Lopez' and "Satan,"' the document said.

Furrow is charged with killing letter carrier Joseph Ileto on Aug 10, just
hours after he allegedly wounded three boys, a teen-age girl and a woman at
the North Valley Jewish Community Center in the San Fernando Valley.

The public defenders representing Furrow said it is unclear from government
filings whether the note was ever delivered to anyone.

"If this obviously delusional note, which defendant wrote to himself, is
what the government considers a threat, it should make that clear," the
attorneys said. "But frankly, defendant cannot believe that the notice truly
meant to imply that a psychotic note written to oneself is a threat against
another."

Furrow has pleaded innocent and his team of public defenders has launched an
effort to save him from the death penalty. They have argued that the federal
death penalty statute is unconstitutional and that the factors presented to
justify it in Furrow's case are too vague.

In its latest papers, the defense repeated the theme of vagueness and said
prosecutors have never been specific enough in outlining "aggravating
factors" that might support the death penalty.

They cited a government claim that Furrow once threatened the woman he calls
his wife and her son and said there was no indication of the names of those
threatened or when and where the alleged threat occurred.

The attorneys also took issue with a government claim that Furrow failed to
show remorse for the killing. They said this suggests that Furrow must
violate his right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment if he is to
show remorse.

This claim, they said, "forces a defendant to choose between testifying to
show remorse, on one hand, and invoking his right to remain silent so as not
to waive his privilege and to maintain his right to appeal, on the other
hand."

As for Furrow's alleged statement after his arrest that, "He is not sorry
for his crimes," the defense said such a statement is inadmissible unless
the government can show "pervading and continuing lack of remorse."

In the last document to be filed before a hearing on the death penalty issue
June 5, the attorneys also argued to exclude mention of Furrow's
anti-Semitic motivations in the Jewish center shootings, saying they are
irrelevant to the shooting of Ileto.

They also suggested that the term "terrorism" be stricken from the case,
arguing that the government failed to provide a specific definition of it.




 Problems? Suggestions? Let us hear from you.   /   Copyright © The
Sacramento Bee









Get your news on the go. Cell phone, pager, e-mail delivery and more!


Local area news coverage.




To Russia for Love
Every year, several thousand American men spend upward of $4,000 each to
join "marriage tours" to the former U.S.S.R.

Learning by Heart
Competition to get on the Bella Vista Academic Decathlon team is so fierce
that tryouts are held each spring, and students have been known to cry when
they do not make it.
more projects





BY KEYWORD:


Advanced search.

Search tips.








 77
Forecast



Mainstream churches turning to technology, attracting members

Horrific death of toddler leads to 25 years to life for heroin addict

Vote on contract looms for janitors in Silicon Valley

Stayner's lawyers argue against death penalty

Man who found stolen Oscars loses most of his reward money to thieves

TV judge Judy testifies in dispute over her namesake show

Judge approves settlement between county and probation officers

Entertainer Bob Hope's condition upgraded to stable condition

At last, Herman Wouk speaks

Start fiddling with those rosaries, Tom Lehrer is back for his encore



  More...Top StoryCal
ReportNationalGlobalBusinessPoliticsSportsVoicesNewsWatcher




Defense attorneys say man charged in supremacist shootings wrote 'psychotic'
note
By LINDA DEUTSCH
AP Special Correspondent
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- White supremacist Buford Furrow wrote "a psychotic note"
to himself repeating 129 times that he should kill another prison inmate,
his lawyers disclosed in a legal document filed late Wednesday afternoon.
The attorneys, who are attempting to block the government from seeking the
death penalty for Furrow in the murder of a Filipino postman, discounted the
idea that the note uncovered by jailers was a true threat on the life of the
Latino inmate, Raul Lopez.
"On the note, defendant had written 129 times, 'You must kill Lopez and all
of his protecting angels,"' the lawyers said.
"Apparently, the number 129 was arrived at by ascribing a numerical value,
one through 26, to each letter of the alphabet ... and adding up the values
of the words, 'Lopez' and "Satan,"' the document said.
Furrow is charged with killing letter carrier Joseph Ileto on Aug 10, just
hours after he allegedly wounded three boys, a teen-age girl and a woman at
the North Valley Jewish Community Center in the San Fernando Valley.
The public defenders representing Furrow said it is unclear from government
filings whether the note was ever delivered to anyone.
"If this obviously delusional note, which defendant wrote to himself, is
what the government considers a threat, it should make that clear," the
attorneys said. "But frankly, defendant cannot believe that the notice truly
meant to imply that a psychotic note written to oneself is a threat against
another."
Furrow has pleaded innocent and his team of public defenders has launched an
effort to save him from the death penalty. They have argued that the federal
death penalty statute is unconstitutional and that the factors presented to
justify it in Furrow's case are too vague.
In its latest papers, the defense repeated the theme of vagueness and said
prosecutors have never been specific enough in outlining "aggravating
factors" that might support the death penalty.
They cited a government claim that Furrow once threatened the woman he calls
his wife and her son and said there was no indication of the names of those
threatened or when and where the alleged threat occurred.
The attorneys also took issue with a government claim that Furrow failed to
show remorse for the killing. They said this suggests that Furrow must
violate his right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment if he is to
show remorse.
This claim, they said, "forces a defendant to choose between testifying to
show remorse, on one hand, and invoking his right to remain silent so as not
to waive his privilege and to maintain his right to appeal, on the other
hand."
As for Furrow's alleged statement after his arrest that, "He is not sorry
for his crimes," the defense said such a statement is inadmissible unless
the government can show "pervading and continuing lack of remorse."
In the last document to be filed before a hearing on the death penalty issue
June 5, the attorneys also argued to exclude mention of Furrow's
anti-Semitic motivations in the Jewish center shootings, saying they are
irrelevant to the shooting of Ileto.
They also suggested that the term "terrorism" be stricken from the case,
arguing that the government failed to provide a specific definition of it.


Problems? Suggestions? Let us hear from you.   /   Copyright © The
Sacramento Bee

<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please!  These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths,
misdirections
and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and
minor
effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said,
CTRL
gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers;
be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and
nazi's need not apply.

Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html
<A HREF="http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>

http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
 <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Om

Reply via email to