In the midst of everything going on in America and of course #BlackLives matter, Dylann Roof’s defense attorney have requested that charges against him be dropped saying it is “unconstitutional” to charge him.
Last June Roof went into Emanuel AME Church during a bible study and murdered nine innocent black people.
Court documents were filed on Tuesday and attorney’s are arguing the case needs to be left to State authorities, saying “the federal government does not have the constitutional authority to prosecute him under the Commerce Clause and the 13th Amendment, which makes slavery illegal.” They are also saying the case is violating the “Due Process Clause of the fifth Amendment.”
Federal prosecutors are trying to give Roof the death penalty. He is facing 33 federal charges and the federal trial is scheduled to begin on November 7th. His state trial is scheduled for January 17, 2017.
This is a very interesting request with everything going on right now in America. The attorney’s will have Roof plead guilty only if the government will put the death penalty off.