http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20125283-504083/georgia-birther-convicted-in-plot-to-seize-courthouse-force-obama-out-of-office/


Georgia "birther" convicted in plot to seize courthouse, force Obama out of office

(CBS/AP) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - A jury convicted Georgia man Darren Huff on Tuesday of a federal firearms charge in what police said was a plot to take over a Tennessee courthouse and force President Barack Obama out of office.

The 41-year-old was found guilty of carrying a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to use it in a civil disorder. He was acquitted of using a firearm in relation to another felony. He faces up to five years in prison.

Huff was stopped by Tennessee officers in April 2010 and told them he was bringing guns into the state from Dallas, Ga., to support efforts to arrest Monroe County officials who refused to indict Obama.

Huff was a part of a Georgia militia and the "birther" movement that disputes Obama's U.S. citizenship.

Officers testified Huff was carrying a loaded Colt .45 in a holster on his hip plus an assault rifle and 200 or 300 rounds of ammunition in a tool box in his truck. They said he also had a document he claimed was a "citizens' arrest warrant" for officials, saying they were domestic enemies and had been charged with treason.

Huff testified that he wanted to help Walter Fitzpatrick, a military retiree living in Madisonville, who was arrested after he tried to put the local grand jury foreman under citizen's arrest. Fitzpatrick, who became hostile to the government two decades ago when he faced a court-martial, is in jail over that incident.

Huff choked back tears as he told the jury Friday that he was humiliated because "my government has called me a potential domestic terrorist." He denied he threatened to take over the courthouse in Monroe County, which is about halfway between Knoxville and Chattanooga.

U.S. District Judge Thomas Varlan ordered Huff into custody following the jury's conviction. A sentencing hearing was scheduled for February.

Is there something wrong with the educational system in this country?


Maybe?

I dont know if civics is required anymore. People are really confused about 'rights' vs 'privileges' and what constitutes those popular ideas of 'treason' or 'citizens arrest'.

Gotta wonder about the mentality of these people.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/the_strange_case_of_the_ga_birther_oathkeeper_--_w.php

Jillian Rayfield October 18, 2011, 5:05 AM 9406 2

On Tuesday, Georgia OathKeeper Darren Huff will begin his trial for an alleged attempt to take over a Tennessee courthouse and conduct citizens arrests on local judges and officers.

Huff’s troubles began in April 2010, when Walter Francis Fitzpatrick was arrested in Madisonville, Tennessee for attempting to conduct a citizens’ arrest on Monroe County Grand Jury Foreman Gary Pettway. “I’m charging you with official misconduct,” Fitzpatrick told Pettway. “I’m placing you under arrest. You must now come with me.” Fitzpatrick was charged with inciting a riot, disrupting an official public meeting, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Beforehand, Fitzpatrick, who is a leader of the birther and Patriot group American Grand Jury, had written up 24 citizens’ arrest warrants for officials at the federal, state and local levels, calling them “domestic enemies” and describing President Obama as an “illegal alien, infiltrator and impostor.” His grievance with Pettway, it seems, was that Pettway would not agree to convene a grand jury to investigate the AGC’s belief that Obama is not a natural-born citizen.

Fitzpatrick’s allies called for supporters to storm the courthouse and conduct their own citizens’ arrests in retaliation for Fitzpatrick’s arrest, and Huff — carrying a Colt .45 and an AK-47 — responded to the request.

Huff, a former U.S. Naval officer from Georgia and a member of the OathKeepers, made his way to the courthouse on April 20, 2010, the day Fitzpatrick was supposed to stand trial.

As TPM wrote at the time:

Huff was already being monitored by the FBI, a local TV station has reported, and after reaching Tennessee he was quickly stopped by state troopers. They told reporters that Huff made clear that he was armed and that he planned to go to the courthouse and arrest county officials — who he called “domestic enemies of the United States engaged in treason”— in order to turn them over to state police to put in jail. The troopers eventually let Huff proceed to the courthouse, and no violence seems to have ensued that day — though Huff and his allies did not succeed in having county officials arrested.

Huff told the troopers that he was was not planning in resorting to violence unless provoked, but he was ready to die for his rights and what he believed in, according to court documents. He was arrested a few days after, and was eventually indicted knowingly “carrying a firearm in interstate commerce with the intent to use it in a civil disorder” and “using a firearm in relation to another felony,” according to the AP.

Huff’s trial begins Tuesday in District Court. If convicted of the first charge, he faces up to five years in prison. The second charge carries a two-year minimum sentence.

In July, Huff was granted a request to oust his publicly-appointed defenders, calling them “either incompetent or attempting to sell the defendant down the river.” He was given a replacement.

LOL..... love how the liberal media labeled him as a "birther". It has everything to do with this story.........not. Someone is trying to sell copies or draw people to their site!

Not in any way defending the guy, but c'mon, birther is a buzzword made up by the Obama faithfuls who can't for a second think he would ever do, or has ever done anything wrong.

"Birthers" are white people who cannot accept that a black man is in office and had to find a way to discredit him in their own eyes so they can feel justified in making a black president a fraudulent event.
No matter whether it is accurate or not.

Now this guy in the OP, seems to be off mentally by a whole lot. I would have categorized him as mentally ill myself.

He was probably not mentally well and took his "birther" influence to a level that made him dangerous.

His grievance with Pettway, it seems, was that Pettway would not agree to convene a grand jury to investigate the AGC’s belief that Obama is not a natural-born citizen.




natural BORN - birth,,, BIRTHER

its not just white folks d

Did you read the articles to see why he tried to do a citizens' arrest of the Grand Jury Foreman?

And that has what to do with being a "birther?" That's simply a label that was branded on people who didn't believe he (Obama) was a citizen. I know what it means people, I simply said the liberal media labeled him that in the title like it was extremely significant to the story. There was one sentence about it.
As I said, it was titled that way in order to gain readership. My what a surprise!

I think you're missing something, Peccy, or you don't understand what birther means.



It shows there why the guy did what he did. Seems to me he was supporting a fellow birther.

Hmm... so did they call him birther because they want to smear birthers, or did they call him birther because they want to attract attention, or did they call him birther because they honestly think its relevant?

I'm not convinced its completely irrelevant. Birthers in general seem to have a really strong distrust in government, and many of them are bit out of touch with reality in other areas. I think these qualities contributed to his actions.




Really? I thought the term was made up by sane people, some of whom are conservatives who do not like Obama, but who have even less tolerance for insanity and stupidity cluttering up the public discourse.

Peccy, despite anything in my post which might imply I disagree - I actually agree with you here. I think thats the main reason they chose that word.

I think its a relevant description of not only the 'accused' but a reference to what he is 'accused' of as well


kind of like 'patriot saves the flag from burning', would be a way of describing the person who is the subject as well as a reference to the activity he is involved in,,

No it doesn't describe him.....the word was used because BIRTHER is a powerful buzzword that sells paper or procures hits. Him being one has about as much to do with that article as window cleaner. MASSAGETRADE: yes I am certain it was the reason - I didn't get to be an editor for failing to recognize these tricks! Hell I've even used them in a PR dept when I wrote copy!

Ok, Peccy. Tell us why he did what he did. What was his motivation for going after the Grand Jury Foreman?

What does that have to do with why the word birther was used? They could have just as easily used the word Patriot as he was a part of that group too. People are drawn to drama, look at reality shows. And birther conjures up more negative images than patriot.

You didn't answer the question. :)

I would be willing to bet that he is a self proclaimed "birther" and they did not feel they had to extrapolate on that fact in the article.