Adam Kokesh, Anarcho-Libertarian Activist, Pleads Guilty on Weapons Charges Based on Video He Shot
I blogged back in July on anarcho-libertarian media figure and activist Adam Kokesh being arrested and held without bond on crummy charges of carrying a shotgun in D.C.'s Freedom Plaza, an act he videoed as deliberate political provocation theater.
After rotting in jail for months, Kokesh finally pleaded guilty this week and got out pending sentencing, the Washington Post reports:
Wednesday, standing next to his new [court-appointed] attorney, Kokesh pleaded guilty to carrying a rifle or shotgun, possession of an unregistered firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition. In a separate case, Kokesh pleaded guilty to marijuana possession.
Court papers show that prosecutors offered the plea deal in a Monday letter sent to Kokesh's attorney. In the letter, Assistant U.S. Attorney Natalia Medina said prosecutors believed that Kokesh tried to sneak a cellphone into the jail Oct. 22. Medina wrote that if Kokesh accepted the plea, he would not face additional charges regarding the phone.
Kokesh's attorney, Larry Copeland, said it was the second plea deal presented to his client. Copeland said he and Kokesh "weren't concerned" about the cellphone allegation but weighed the offer.
"We evaluated the case against him and the likely outcome and made a judgment that this was the best thing to do," Copeland said.
Pending a Jan. 17 sentencing hearing, Broderick ordered Kokesh to stay out of the District and said he must report with supervising authorities weekly. The judge also ordered that Kokesh not possess any firearms. Kokesh faces a maximum of more than six years in prison on the combined charges.
It was a bad charge, though I'm not going to question a man's decisions to get himself out of a cage he's been unjustly locked into. May any eventual sentencing be light, though I wouldn't count on it.
Kokesh wrote on his Facebook page, as reported by Opposing Views.com:
"I'm incredibly grateful for everyone who supported me during my recent challenges by volunteering, donating, and writing letters to me in jail, and to the judge and the prosecutors," Kokesh posted on his Facebook. "We will continue using this as a teachable moment to illuminate the nature of government and spread the message of liberty, self-ownership and civil rights."