Prosecutors Reach Compromise
over Sniper Jurisdiction
Washington, DC | Prosecutors from Maryland, Virginia, Alabama and Washington State have met with representatives of the Justice Department and agreed on a compromise in the case of accused serial sniper John Allen Muhammad.
Muhammad faces ten counts of first-degree murder in the Washington D.C. area, one count in Alabama, and could also face Federal charges. Links to a murder in Washington State are also under investigation. But many feared a debate over which charges would take precedence might drag on for months.
Under the compromise, Muhammad will be prosecuted simultaneously in all four jurisdictions. This is to be accomplished through a little-used 1789 Federal provision called "Drawing and Quartering." Each of Mohammad's arms and legs will be tied to four horses, and the horses will then be dispatched to the four trial locations.
General consensus was reached that this remedy would satisfy the criteria of fair and timely justice, as well as send a clear message to those who might aspire to intimidate the civilian population.
As a juvenile, Muhammad's 17-year-old accomplice John Lee Malvo qualifies for the "Make-a-Wish" statute. Under this proviso, only two horses will be used at which time interested parties are encouraged to make a wish.
