GRAND RAPIDS (AP) — A federal judge on Friday said he would postpone the Oct. 12 trial of five men accused of planning to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
A new date wasn't immediately set, but U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker suggested the trial might get pushed to February or March. Defense lawyers said they needed more time to pore over evidence shared by federal prosecutors, especially the undercover work of FBI agents and informants.
"I trust the judgment of these five lawyers," Jonker said.
The delay means the trial, and subsequent sentencing hearings if there are convictions, would occur while Whitmer, a Democrat, is seeking reelection in 2022.
The five men have been in custody for nearly a year.
The government said the men were upset over coronavirus restrictions when they conspired to kidnap Whitmer, even scouting her second home in northern Michigan. They’ve pleaded not guilty and claim to be victims of entrapment.
A sixth man, Ty Garbin, pleaded guilty and was recently sentenced to slightly more than six years in prison. He's expected to be a major witness for the government at trial.
When the kidnapping case was filed in October 2020, Whitmer pinned some blame on then-President Donald Trump, saying his refusal to denounce far-right groups had inspired extremists across the U.S.
It added even more heat to the final weeks of a tumultuous election season. Trump had earlier urged supporters to “LIBERATE” Michigan from stay-at-home mandates.
- Posted September 20, 2021
- Tweet This | Share on Facebook
October trial postponed for five men in Michigan governor plot
headlines Macomb
- Working to help restore no-fault safeguards
- Nessel announces new DAG opioid settlement website
- Experts to discuss AI, privacy, pregnancy post-Dobbs and more at ABA meeting
- MSHDA Board approves modification to Housing and Community Development Fund in March meeting
- Visa, Mastercard settle long-running antitrust suit over swipe fees with merchants
headlines National
- 50 Years of Service: ABA has been a ‘stalwart ally’ for LSC funding
- ACLU and BigLaw firm use ‘Orange is the New Black’ in hashtag effort to promote NY jail reform
- Biden recalls time he bluffed knowledge of torts case and why he changed his mind about civil-trial work
- Lawyers’ ‘barrage of personal attacks’ on opponents started with tissue-box toss, appeals court says
- Longtime prosecutor resigns after judge tosses him from case, citing Perry Mason-type revelations
- 24% of law students expect to work in public service, survey says