Tom Kniff News Today

Contraband contraband. she was able to avoid any additional charges for promoting prison contraband conspiracy to commit the murder of her husband lyle mitchell and any sexually related charges. criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor tom kniff is here to break it down. why do you think she accepted the deal? >> its the carrot and the stick. she would get convicted only of the d felony. two and a third to seven years which she appears to have agreed to and thats an indeterminate sentence...

Jenna. jenna: well see what revisions look like in couple weeks. james, thank you. all right. >> you initer have you had them. you asked questions. you do an assessment. >> when youre up tear viewing youre not talking right?. >> mr. martinez -- >> yes or no the my question are you talking yes or no? >> mr. martinez are you angry at me? maam, is that relevant to you? is that important to you. >> ladies and gentlemen, please refrain from laughing in the courtroom. jon: judge sherry stevens there r...

I want to put it up on the screen. it is defined as an act intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, to influence a policy of a government by intimidation or coercion or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination for kidnapping. how in the world is the fort hood shooting not domestic terrorism? tom? >> yeah, one word, gregg, politics. if you look at the political climate in 2 ao 09 whe 2009 when the fort hood massacre occurred, we had president obama w...

I want to play a sound byte from the head of the family research council, here it is. >> because they disagree with our position on marriage and certain religious issues have labeled us a hate group. that gives license to lunatics like this to come in with a gun and shoot innocent people. gregg: frc is allegedly a hate group and yet an attack on it because of their beliefs is not a hate crime? >> tom is right, however the issue is whether the act is influenced by hatred, bigotry or its influence...

Regarding who should get the dog. the original owner came forward but rescuers dont think he should get the dog back. gregg: new questions about the governments standard of what qualifies as a hate crime. attorney general eric holder calling the shooting earlier this month at a sikh temple in wisconsin a hate crime, while other recent high profile shootings do not meet that sthapb ard, like the family research shooting in washington on tuesday and the fort hood shooting. here is press secretary ...

First hate crimes. hate crime is a by as crime driven by hatred over somebodys status or their beliefs. doesnt the family research council shooting merit hate time status, tom? >> yeah, i mean look, gregg, as you said, any crime that is -- what defines a hate crime, the concept of a hate crime is relatively new. its only in the last, ten, 20 years that we started talking about this. it goes to the intent of the actor. when the intent is motivated by bigotry, by as, hi tried toward a kick group o...