PoliticsPoliticsVideo

Gun Activist Adam Kokesh Pleads Guilty To Shotgun, Marijuana Charges

'Very Dangerous' Gun Activist Adam Kokesh Pleads Guilty
Open Image Modal
By 

Animal Welfare Editor, The Huffington Post

|

Gun and drug activist Adam Kokesh, a libertarian talk show host who's called for a country-wide secessionist effort, has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a video he posted on July 4, showing him loading a shotgun in downtown D.C., and unrelated marijuana charges.

D.C. Superior Court records show Kokesh -- who filmed the D.C. shotgun video after calling off a planned armed march on Washington -- pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges on Wednesday, and received bond on two conditions: That he "not possess weapons of any kind" and that he keep away from the District, except for court and other legal appointments. (Speaking of, Kokesh's sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 17.)

The guilty pleas come as something of a surprise. As the Washington Post notes, the Wednesday hearing was unscheduled, and came just weeks after a not guilty plea to the same charges.

In the months that Kokesh has remained in jail -- his bond having been denied almost 10 times since the charges were filed at the end of July, court records show; he was called "very dangerous" by the presiding judge at one hearing -- his supporters have engaged in jury nullification outreach efforts, aimed at educating potential jurors about their ability to acquit defendants charged with violating laws they disagree with.

These efforts didn't seem poised to end anytime soon; just seven hours ago, Kokesh (or someone with access to his Facebook page) posted a letter that talked about his upcoming trial, which had been scheduled for Nov. 18:

When I go to trial, I will be arguing that if there is no victim, there is no crime, and it will not just be my civil disobedience on trial, not just gun control, not just the enforcement of unconstitutional laws, not just the criminal injustice system, but the entire idea of government force and the government that has become the greatest enemy of freedom will be on trial. I will be fighting for my freedom, and yours, but you will never be free until you stand up for yourself and demand to be free. I would never ask you to follow me, but I dearly hope that you will join me.

That trial, of course, has been canceled in the wake of the guilty pleas.

U.S. Department of Justice spokesperson William Miller told HuffPost that Kokesh pled guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to charges of "carrying a rifle or shotgun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. In a separate case, he pled guilty to a charge of possession of marijuana."

In addition to fines, the maximum penalties Kokesh faces for the charge of carrying a rifle or shotgun is five years in prison, said Miller. He faces up to one year in jail for the other weapons charges, and a possible sentence of 180 days in jail for the marijuana charge.

We've reached out to Kokesh, several of those involved in his jury nullification and other outreach efforts and his attorney. We'll update this post with any new information.

Our 2024 Coverage Needs You

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.

Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.

to keep our news free for all.

Support HuffPost

Before You Go

People Who Want More Guns In Schools
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) (01 of09)
Open Image Modal
"I wish to God she had had an m-4 in her office, locked up so when she heard gunfire, she pulls it out ... and takes him out and takes his head off before he can kill those precious kids," Gohmert said of slain principal Dawn Hochsprung on Fox News Sunday. He argued that shooters often choose schools because they know people will be unarmed. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)(02 of09)
Open Image Modal
"If people were armed, not just a police officer, but other school officials that were trained and chose to have a weapon, certainly there would be an opportunity to stop an individual trying to get into the school," he told WTOP's "Ask the Governor" show Tuesday, warning that Washington may respond to such a policy with a "knee-jerk reaction." (credit:WikiMedia:)
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) & State Sen. Frank Niceley (R)(03 of09)
Open Image Modal
Gov. Haslam says he will consider a Tennessee plan to secretly arm and train some teachers, TPM reports. The legislation will be introduced by State Sen. Frank Niceley (R) next month. "Say some madman comes in. The first person he would probably try to take out was the resource officer. But if he doesn’t know which teacher has training, then he wouldn’t know which one had [a gun]," Niceley told TPM. "These guys are obviously cowards anyway and if someone starts shooting back, they’re going to take cover, maybe go ahead and commit suicide like most of them have." (credit:AP)
Oklahoma State Rep. Mark McCullough (R) & State Sen. Ralph Shortey (R) (04 of09)
Open Image Modal
State Rep. Mark McCullough (R) told the Tulsa World he plans to file legislation that would bring guns into schools, calling their absence "irresponsible." “It is incredibly irresponsible to leave our schools undefended – to allow mad men to kill dozens of innocents when we have a very simple solution available to us to prevent it," he said. "I’ve been considering this proposal for a long time. In light of the savagery on display in Connecticut, I believe it’s an idea whose time has come."Sen. Ralph Shortey (R) told the Tulsa World that teachers should carry concealed weapons at school events. "Allowing teachers and administrators with concealed-carry permits the ability to have weapons at school events would provide both a measure of security for students and a deterrent against attackers," he said. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Florida State Rep. Dennis Baxley (R)(05 of09)
Open Image Modal
Baxley, who once sponsored Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that keeping guns out of schools makes them a target for attacks.“We need to be more realistic at looking at this policy," he said. "In our zealousness to protect people from harm we’ve created all these gun-free zones and what we’ve inadvertently done is we’ve made them a target. A helpless target is exactly what a deranged person is looking for where they cannot be stopped.” (credit:AP)
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R)(06 of09)
Open Image Modal
At a Tea Party event Monday night, Perry praised a Texas school system that allows some staff to carry concealed weapons to work and encouraged local school districts to make their own policies. (credit:WikiMedia:)
Minnesota State Rep. Tony Cornish (R) (07 of09)
Open Image Modal
Cornish plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers to arm themselves, according to the AP. (credit:Alamy)
Oregon State Rep. Dennis Richardson (R)(08 of09)
Open Image Modal
In an email obtained by Gawker and excerpted below, Richardson tells three superintendents that he could have saved lives had he been armed and in Sandy Hook on Friday:
If I had been a teacher or the principal at the Sandy Hook Elementary School and if the school district did not preclude me from having access to a firearm, either by concealed carry or locked in my desk, most of the murdered children would still be alive, and the gunman would still be dead, and not by suicide....[O]ur children's safety depends on having a number of well-trained school employees on every campus who are prepared to defend our children and save their lives?
 (credit:dennisrichardson.org)
Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett(09 of09)
Open Image Modal
"And I'm not so sure -- and I'm sure I'll get mail for this -- I'm not so sure I wouldn't want one person in a school armed, ready for this kind of thing," Bennett, who served as education secretary under Ronald Reagan, told Meet the Press Sunday. "The principal lunged at this guy. The school psychologist lunged at the guy. It has to be someone who's trained, responsible. But, my god, if you can prevent this kind of thing, I think you ought to." (credit:Getty Images)
Suggest a correction
|
Submit a tip