.
Colton Harris-Moore was arraigned today. They took him in early, as the proceedings begin at 9 a.m., but can go on for hours as defendant after defendant is brought in to face the judge.
Colton plead not guilty to the Federal offenses that include stealing an airplane and taking it across state lines from Bonner's Ferry, Idaho, to Granite Falls, Washington, taking a boat across the Columbia River from WA to OR, and bringing a gun across the border from Canada.
The judge set a trial date of January 18.
The big question for Colt watchers is whether the many charges in WA and the other charges and potential charges in OR, WY, SD, IA, IL and IN will be consolidated into one trial or plea bargain arrangement. So far Island County, WA, where Colt grew up, says they're determined to put him on trial there separate from any Federal trial or plea.
.
I hope Colton will have a real chance to speak for himself at the trial, and give people the chance to see what a good person he actually is.
ReplyDeleteIf he just pleads guilty, it's likely he will never get a chance to speak publicly, at least not for many years. That's happened in way too many cases.
Back in July, Emily Langlie, a spokeswoman for the Federal prosecutor's office, was quoted in the press saying "there will be no jailhouse interviews".
It's been clear for several months that the prosecutor's office wants to limit press coverage of Colton, and allow only their version of events to predominate in the news cycle.
The U.S. attorney in Seattle, Jenny Durkan, said "there's nothing in his acts to be admired, nothing should be glorified". That's their story and they're sticking to it, and they're hoping that's what will stick in the minds of potential jurors.
According to the American Bar Association, the duty of a prosecutor is to seek justice, not merely to convict. According to the ABA's Model Rules of Professional Conduct, "a prosecutor has the responsibility of a minister of justice and not simply that of an advocate".
It seems to me that the U.S. attorney's pretrial statements are not in accordance with these ABA standards. She's already assuming Colton is guilty before he's even had a trial, and that's what she's saying to the news media. How can that possibly serve the cause of justice?
Beth
This person is a criminal not a really good person.
ReplyDeleteHe habitually steals cars, boats, planes, money, guns and breaks into homes and other personal property.
What part of this constitutes a really good person?
Five or ten years in prison is just what he needs.
In our justice system, everyone is considered innocent until they're found guilty beyond a reasonable shadow of a doubt, in a court of law, by a jury of their peers. That's the American way.
ReplyDeleteSomeone accused of a crime doesn't have to prove innocence, the state has the burden of proving guilt. That's in the U.S. Constitution.
Anyone who presumes guilt against another person, without due process of law, is un-American.
just a quick question...in the 48 hr mystery report, they said colt lived in Reno for a while after he stole his first plane. they said he rented an apartment and worked at a casino. my question is, if he was able to do that, why go back to stealing and go back to to Camano island?
ReplyDeleteHa! That's certainly not a quick question.
ReplyDeleteHe was missing his woods, i belive.
ReplyDeleteI also have a question about 48 hrs mystery. When you were talking about Colton's childhood and the things he went through, You said that at the time you were researching it, You would have nightmares about it. Was that true?, Was this boys childhood really THAT bad? Just wondering if you ment that literally, Or if it was all just fancy TV talk to make things interesting. Hahah :]
ReplyDeleteInteresting questions today. I'm not one for fancy TV talking and this story is so fascinating on so many levels that I feel there's absolutely no need to sensationalize any aspects of it.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who's read my Outside piece and these posts knows that I didn't come to this story as a disinterested observer the way a newspaper reporter or an out-of-state writer could/would/should.
First, the story came to me, to the little island where I live. From that moment, I decided the best insight I could have would include experiential reporting (i.e. the last lines of my Outside piece) which hopefully offers the reader some understanding of the complex feelings that residents of Orcas and Camano felt throughout these events. That's a difficult line to cross in pieces like this, because you don't want to make it about yourself.
My unique position (at least among writers working on this story) as a resident here, along some other parts of my background (burglary victim, experience with other fugitives as well as law enforcement, knowing the Bahamas so well, ect) allows for some moments of insight that I'll use to help tell the story in the best way I know how.
What I said about nightmares was a personal comment. I groaned when I saw it used on the show, but... I did say it and I certainly knew they had a camera running. So to answer your question: Absolutely, it is true; I did have nightmares while researching that part of this story.
There are, of course, many, many people who have have had rougher childhoods than Colton Harris-Moore. There are many kids who don't survive their childhood and others who have had horrifying things done to them. I wasn't saying that his was the worst or anywhere near it. It was just an honest statement about my subconscious reaction to immersing myself in the subject.
We hope our favorite outlaw will somehow have a good Thanksgiving, and Christmas too.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Gospel of St. Matthew in the King James Bible: "I was in prison and you visited me."
Although those of us who aren't related to Colt aren't allowed to visit him in person, we can visit him in spirit and pray for him.
Is he allowed to receive Christmas cards and presents from random people like us who aren't related to him?
We wonder, too, what kind of Thanksgiving and Christmas he had in 2008 and 2009. Did he have a warm place to stay, enough to eat, and the chance to be with people who care about him? We hope so...
Beth
I'm sure he had a place to stay the last couple of years. He probably broke into homes and took what he wanted.
ReplyDeleteYes, he will have a nice dinner this year courtesy the Wa. state prison system. And hopefully many more to come will be provided by the state.
For all the trolls posting snide comments and wishing ill toward a non-violent 19-year-old, remember the Christmas season is coming, the season of peace and good will to all.
ReplyDeleteYou too can save your soul if you will learn to open your heart and care about your fellow human beings, not just yourself.
Is Colton still in SeaTac or has he been moved?
ReplyDeleteAlso is he still in solitary confinement?, Does he do anything?. Basically i'm just asking what's a day in Colton's life like while he's there.
Yes, Colton is still be held at SeaTac Federal Detention Center awaiting trial (January date as of now, but that could be moved if indeed this does go to trial). He is still in solitary, though that is by his own choice. He's spending his days working on his airplane designs and reading.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob, I've just heard that Colton's trial date is now set for July 11, 2011... Seeems like an awfully long wait, but I guess it's kind of normal for such a complex legal case. I was wondering if this would affect his any way the release date of your book?
ReplyDeleteYes, that's the latest word. I don't expect this to actually go to trial, but that gives the lawyers more breathing room to figure out a plea deal. Colton should get credit for time served, so for him the timing doesn't matter much other than knowing his definitive sentence. And, again, the better the chance of consolidation, the better it will look for him and, hopefully, for those victims in line for restitution as well as the cash-strapped county governments.
ReplyDeleteAs for the book release date... You guys will be the first to know after I do. Right now I'm just concentrating on making it a complete narrative.
Awe that poor thing has to wait till July?
ReplyDeleteThat IS a long wait. This is stressing me out as much as it probably is to Colton, I'm dying to know how many years he'll get. I just want this to go fast, So he can serve his time already, So he get out and move on with his life. My heart deeply goes out to him, poor thing's in Solitary Confinement where he basically has no contact with anyone, or people to talk to. Plus his OWN mother won't visit him, Thats the real painful part. God knows what he's thinking. I just wanna give him a hug :/
I can't believe that his mother , if I can use that word, haven't visited him yet. She is phenomenon that should be examined for a long time, until somebody could understand her psyche. She doesn't deserve the smallest grain of his attention.
ReplyDeleteBob is your book really going to have
ReplyDeleteeveything about Coltons life? even some of the
abuse? which i also wonder, when you were researching the abuse. did you only go by what the child protective service reports said or did Colts mom actually tell you. also do you think you could give us a peak in whats in the book so far?
Sorry, no peeking yet.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'll be covering everything possible, and using as many sources and first-hand accounts and voices I can dig up to tell all sides of the story. I've lost count of how many interviews I've done so far, but it's well over 200.
Do you really think that his mom would said something about the abuse? She think that she was good mother, we can conclude that from her self-praise statements about how she raise him in the best way...can't believe that woman...
ReplyDeletePam has said that Colt was extremely difficult to raise and that she tried to get and keep him on medication without success. Of course the parents have to share the blame, but that doesn't excuse the boy's actions. (Lack of medication might excuse his actions, but we do not have enough information to make a conclusion about that.) I think Pam has tried and failed and alcoholism and poverty have not helped... but trying to force a rebellious giant teenager with the ability to leap tall buildings to go to school is something that would challenge any parent. Pam is not a caricature. She deserves a fair interview!
ReplyDeleteGood point about caricatures. I've said here before that I feel that no one in this story can be reduced to black or white, all good or all bad. That includes Pam, as it does Colt, the police, the people working the various "systems," the media, etc.
ReplyDeleteA Chief Inspector with the Bahamian Royal Police Force who I recently interviewed reminded me that "There is some good in the worst of us and some bad in the best."
Getting three-dimensional portraits of all the major players is one of the big challenges of this story. For example, I've got plenty of crime victims who are willing to call out their local police, but it has been incredibly difficult to get the police and other law enforcement to tell me their side of the story.
I have sympathy for the authorities who had to chase Colt through those impossibly vast woods. Their failed efforts and the Barefoot Bandit's cockiness made the cops seem incompetent and foolish, which is probably why kids like the story, but I don't think the media ever really conveyed the geographical advantage that the Bandit had over them through much of the ordeal. No one talks about their long cold nights or how daunting a task their search must have been! I truly hope someone from the police will come forward for you Bob and set the record straight about what they had to deal with.
ReplyDeleteAbout his "mother"...Yes, we don't have the whole picture and from the facts that we get from news we paint it black or white. She praise her son's crime, she was proud when he stole plane, and I really like to know did she ever felt fear for his life, or she just drown her sorrow in bear. She certainly isn't only reason for Colt's deeds but sure she didn't give enough effort to show him the right way. I can say it from parent's point of view. And for medication part, you must be persistent in therapy, you can't expect good results at short notice. But patient is one quality that she doesn't have. Parent who give up on his own child isn't good parent. Hope that Colt learn from his parent's mistakes and that he won't repeat them in the future.
ReplyDeletePam never supported Colt's crimes. When he escaped in 2008 she sent word through the media that he should turn himself in. When she was quoted about being "proud he taught himself to fly" it was spun to sound as if she was some kind of Ma Barker encouraging him to steal. Her efforts to secure Colt a lawyer and a safe opportunity to surrender were barely considered newsworthy. Her fear that an armed angry untrained bounty hunter would shoot her son on sight were legitimate and must have been terrifying. I think it narrow to believe her wish to sell her side of the story is purely selfish. She is a single mom with no money no community support and I bet she is doing all she can for her son. It's too bad she doesn't have a high priced lawyer helping her with public relations.
ReplyDeleteBob, do you think vilifying Pam will be a cornerstone of Browne's defence of Colton if it ever goes to trial? Do Colt and Browne have any choice but to distance themselves from her throughout the bargaining?
ReplyDeleteWell, one, I don't think it will go to trial. Two: I don't think it's a great defense to specifically blame someone else who obviously didn't do the crimes that the defendant is charged with. Pam didn't steal the plane or the boat or carry the gun, etc.
ReplyDeleteAs part of his defense, they would surely tell a narrative that he came from a dysfunctional home and never got the guidance and help he needed to take the right path. But if a tough childhood was a slam-dunk defense against felony charges, our prisons would be empty.
I think they know that no matter what his childhood was like that he's not getting a free pass on all this, because at a certain point he was making his own choices. The next step would be, I presume, to argue diminished capacity to make those proper choices.
There's a lot the defense can do with a non-violent, non-drug-addicted defendant like Colton. And on the other side, the prosecutors have an awful lot of evidence, and they'll have their own arguments against the defense narrative and/or diminished capacity.
Again, I think it will resolve in a plea. Colt will serve time and I hope serve it constructively. And hopefully any deal will see that the victims are made whole, financially.
Bob, When Colton was in Reno and working in a casino, As they said in 48 hrs mystery. How come he didn't get caught there? I mean i know he went under a false name, But i would assume that people working in a casino would most likely/Especially Do background checks on people they intend to hire. I mean i heard he was only a dishwasher 'Supposably' but i think dishwashers would under go the background check process also since, Hello it is a casino. wouldn't they be worried about people with shady backgrounds stealing?. And even if he did try to pass the background check W/ the fasle name, wouldn't they know it was fake or stolden, and eventually find out it was him?
ReplyDeleteHonestly, Colton was probably never in Reno.
ReplyDelete