The Sentence Enhancement in Reffet's Case, on the Ground of Terrorism

The federal prosecutors in the gi refit case have now asked the judge for something called an upward departure. Reffet engaged in acts of violence that were intended to influence the government through intimidation or coercion, acts that have been defined by statute as domestic terrorism. They're asking for 15 years in prison, which is no joke. That could change everything for every other defendant who right now is weighing their ons, weighing the risks of going to trial against pleading guilty and agreeing to tell the truth about what they know. This is also a good reminder about how much leeway prosecutors can bring to bear in pursuing and punishing crimes like this through the courts.