Judge Shot At Reno Courthouse

[gr8fuldaniel]

http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_163144858.html

CBS NEWS Jun 12, 2006 2:26 pm US/Pacific Judge Shot At Reno Courthouse (AP) RENO, Nev. A family court judge was shot and wounded as he stood near a third-floor courthouse window Monday, and police sealed off the area and searched nearby parking garages for a sniper. Chuck Weller was hit in the chest around midday by a shot or shots that came through his office window at the Mills B. Lane Justice Center, authorities said. He was taken by ambulance to a hospital, where he was reported in serious condition. "He is conscious and talking with his family," police spokesman Steve Frady said. Police closed off six blocks around the courthouse on the edge of Reno's downtown casino district. A SWAT team was called in, and officers conducted a floor-by-floor search of the courthouse and the neighboring parking garages. "We don't know precisely where that round may have come from, so we have to close down and search a large area just north of the court complex," Undersheriff Mike Haley told KRNV-TV. Weller, 53, a Reno lawyer, was elected to the bench in 2004. Weller hosted a legal advice program on a Reno radio station from 1989 to 2002 and wrote a legal advice column in the Sunday Reno Gazette-Journal from 2000 to 2004. He once led opposition to a county bond issue to build a new courthouse. After the shooting, city and county employees were kept inside the building because police did not know if it was safe on the streets.

Over 5 minutes of raw video is available at source.

This Judge is real bad apple from everything I have found on him.

Developing.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Update:

This was just added to the story:

....and police were looking for man suspected in a slaying across town who had appeared before the judge in a divorce case. Investigators said Darren Roy Mack, a suspect in a killing reported at a Reno apartment building was a "person of interest" in the shooting at the courthouse earlier in the day, Reno Deputy Police Chief Jim Johns said.

Check the entries on Judge Chuck weller, here: The Legal Reader
Example:

The NEW TERRORISM! Judge Chuck Weller of Washoe County Family Court has people (both men & women) running from his courtroom in TERROR. He threatens to take your children, your freedom, your property! Weller uses whatever tactics to force you to submit to his imperial demands and tyrannical orders. Every story from each person that I have talked to in my investigation has similar experience. They are terrorized and don't understand why he is being so aggressive when they've done nothing wrong. Does Weller ever rule on the law or does he just rule on his whims? Contact Nevadans for Equal Parenting by clicking the link or by email to begin a dialog in Washoe County at admin@nevadansforequalparenting.org Posted by: Nevada Parent at March 18, 2006 01:51 PM This topic has been covered by Nevadans For Equal Parenting. Please visit them and help find a solution to this problem. Posted by: NV Parent at March 19, 2006 10:15 AM

[Apeman81]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_163144858.htmlOver 5 minutes of raw video is available at source. This Judge is real bad apple from everything I have found on him. Developing.

A bad apple? By what standard? For what purpose is that statement made? Justification?

[gr8fuldaniel]

The point I am trying to make, is that this wasnt just a random snipe. Here is a reliable source (Las Vegas Sun), that is not so friendly toward the judge as the first article. The first article I posted was the entire article. At 5:54 PM they editted the story to paint a favorable picture of the judge calling him

Albright continued: "It's still very shocking. He's a nice guy and real hardworking. I can't imagine he would be gruff or disparaging to anyone in his courtroom. He's not a brusque, grumpy person."

And not a disparaging word in sight..

This story shows another side:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/st...061210754.html Injured Reno judge popular target for angry parents By ANGIE WAGNER ASSOCIATED PRESS A lot of people don't like Chuck Weller, and to some it was no surprise when he was shot Monday in the chest as he stood near a third-floor courthouse window. <snip> A bully. Hitler. Abusive. Weller was vilified on several Web sites critical of family court judges. Fathers, in particular, were harsh, with one calling him the worst judge in America. Garret Idle went before Weller in May 2005 seeking to increase his visitation time with his two children. Instead, he said, Weller slammed him for more child support and didn't listen to any of his concerns about his son and daughter. "Weller is very abusive. He's a monster," Idle, 48, said. "He's destroyed everything I've worked for." <snip> Bonnie Russell, founder of http://www.FamilyLawCourts.com , said family courts operate much like Halliburton, unregulated and out of control. Sometimes the consequence can turn deadly. One emotional posting on the site http://www.courthouseforum.com said this about Weller: "I am not sure monster describes him accurately. Judge Chuck Weller in my belief suffers from 'God complex' and possibly other things as well." Numerous Internet postings described how Weller makes decisions before he hears cases, is unsympathetic and rules like a tyrant. The state Commission on Judicial Discipline accepts complaints on judges, but does not publicly acknowledge them unless it acts upon them. The commission has not acted against Weller. But Idle has had enough of Weller and said he isn't sympathetic. "I think karma finally came back to bite him," Idle said. "Hopefully Weller will have a change of heart in the way he deals with human beings."

There, I'm done.

[RickSp]

Shootings of judges are virtually never random. He might have been the worst judge in the world, but I hope they catch and convict the low-life with a rifle who shot him.

[Marilyn Monroe]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Update: This was just added to the story: Check the entries on Judge Chuck weller, here: The Legal Reader Example:

Nobody ever does anything wrong. Human nature. He sounds like Judge Judy. He ought to go on TV and have a show. I bet it would be a hit.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Do we really need TWO biased judges on TV? I like Judge Milian (Peoples Court), she seems fair. I hate crooked judges. They are worse than thieves.

Judge Judy is a snot slinging beeotch.
She doesnt listen to both sides.
The same thing Judge Chuck Weller is famous for.

[Apeman81]

Quote by: gr8fuldaniel Do we really need TWO biased judges on TV? I like Judge Milian (Peoples Court), she seems fair. I hate crooked judges. They are worse than thieves. Judge Judy is a snot slinging beeotch. She doesnt listen to both sides. The same thing Judge Chuck Weller is famous for.

A man you do not know and had never heard of until yesterday, and now after visiting some websites, you know him enough to rule on how he Judges.

And you say HE doesn't listen to both sides!

Someone premeditates and then carries out a murderous act against this man, and all you can do is find muck in order to smear the victim’s character. What the hell is that about? Does a tough, or unpopular, or even a wholly one-sided judicial stance warrant an attempt upon one’s life?

The man was elected to his position. If he’s a bad judge, then there are legal methods of removal that don’t include sniping.

Just what the heck is the matter with you? What kind of ghoulish ferver leads you to attack the victim?

[gr8fuldaniel]

I dont approve of this assassination attempt. And like I said, I was looking for whether this was random shooting at somebody standing by a window; or if the judge was a target. So I did a google and found a truckload of bad judgement calls by the guy. Its starting to look more like the judge has enemies. Even good judges will have enemies, but they are less likely to get shot.

Charges have been brought against the judge, but the guy is still on the bench (in prejudice). Their is a serious suspect now. Who killed somebody else as well, yesterday. I am simply doing some detective work, dont get your panties in a Frist.

[gr8fuldaniel]

$10,000.00 per month alimony......
That could push a lot of people over the edge.

And lots more info in this article:

Link <snippet> "We are trying to determine whether he has tried to leave the country. We don't really have any viable leads since the Sacramento lead and the Moraga lead," Donnelly said. "The trail pretty much goes cold after those two things." He said Mack may try to contact one of the women he met through several Internet dating services he had accounts with. Mack owns a Bushmaster .223 semiautomatic rifle, which is missing, Donnelly said. The high-powered rifle, which police believed was used in the shooting of Weller, is the same type of firearm John Lee Malvo and John Allen Muhammad used in a series of sniper killings in the Washington D.C. area in 2002. In addition to the blog campaign, Weller said he'd been harassed by someone who anonymously placed a newspaper advertisement last week to auction a motorcycle, listing Roza Weller's name and directions to their home. Numerous bikers showed up at the Wellers' home at 7 a.m. Saturday. Several times last week, he also was awakened at night by his wife, who was alarmed by their dogs barking, Denton said. <snippet>

[Osborn F Enready]

Damn anti-gunners......

Mack owns a Bushmaster .223 semiautomatic rifle, which is missing, Donnelly said. The high-powered rifle, which police believed was used in the shooting of Weller, is the same type of firearm John Lee Malvo and John Allen Muhammad used in a series of sniper killings in the Washington D.C. area in 2002.

A .223 is NOT, by any stretch of the imagination, a "high powered rifle".

A .223 is NOT the choice of snipers if they HAVE a choice. (unless they are sniping paper targets)

A Bushmaster is a STANDARD Mil-Spec Assault Rifle, which shoots a "small caliber" intermediate cartridge, being the 5.56 NATO round, also known as .223.

The media is supposed to report fact, not bias, which they OBVIOUSLY are biased against YOU owning a gun, and this new "media scare" will help to push more anti-gun laws as Americans are made scared of other Americans moreso than they are scared of the real danger......... a National Government run amok.




Thanks for bringing this issue up in debate Daniel. Haven't seen much since the shooting happened because I have been working a lot lately.

[RickSp]

Let's see. Darren Mack, a millionaire pawn shop owner, allegedly stabs his ex-wife to death, after dropping off their 7-year-old daughter with a friend, then allegedly shoots a family court judge with a sniper rifle before disappearing.

The subtext of the thread seems to be that the judge was not a good judge. Guess what? Half of all litigants leave the court room disliking the judge. Then we have the post which claims that the media is "anti-gun" because a newspaper article refers to the Bushmaster rifle as "high-powered" rather than "high-velocity". The Bushmaster was indeed the model rifle used by Malvo and Muhammed to gun down eight or nine people at random in suburban Washington. Whether it is the weapon of choice among snipers, it has been unquestionably shown to be effective.

Am I the only one who thinks that whether or not the judge is good, bad or about average is beside the point? That maybe the murder of a mother should not be ignored? Or that mistaking "high velocity" with "high powered" does not necessarily represent an attack on the Second Amendment?

Here is a thoughtful analysis of the case by a Slate's Dahlia Lithwick who was once Darren Mack's attorney.
The Fall of The Father Of the Year

[Osborn F Enready]

Are you saying it is ok to mis-represent the facts to lead the audience Rick?

I didn't comment on the judge being shot.

I commented on the media bias towards their anti-gun editors and owners.

You don't call a shotgun a pistol do you?

Do you call a carbine a rifle?

They stated "high powered rifle" for a reason, and it was a misleading hype quote to attract those fearful of guns, and those who like them, own them, shoot them, or deal with them.

[RickSp]

Quote by: Osborn F Enready Are you saying it is ok to mis-represent the facts to lead the audience Rick? I didn't comment on the judge being shot. I commented on the media bias towards their anti-gun editors and owners. You don't call a shotgun a pistol do you? Do you call a carbine a rifle? They stated "high powered rifle" for a reason, and it was a misleading hype quote to attract those fearful of guns, and those who like them, own them, shoot them, or deal with them.

You are overreacting, again. They wrote "high-powered" rather than "high-velocity". For those of us without a firearms fetish, it might not seem like a big deal. How exactly this mistake is anti-gun, escapes me. Could it possibly reflect an ignorance of the gun rather than some sort of media conspiracy anti-gun agenda?

And regarding your claim that the Bushmaster might not be a "sniper's choice", it is an unquestionably dangerous gun in the hands of a sniper as demonstrated by Muhammed and Malvoy who were doing far more than sniping "paper targets".

[Osborn F Enready]

To be charged with informing the people, as the media is, wouldn't it behoove them to "RESEARCH" what they are reporting on?

This has NOTHING to do with a fetish for firearms Rick, and I resent being insulted as such which is most certainly what you INTENDED to imply. Status quo on your part.

Once again, slowly.....

Is it not the goal of the media to inform the people of the facts?
If so, why do they "CONSISTENTLY" mis-represent firearms by using the wrong terminology, facts and vernacular when dealing with firearms?

I am talking about consistency Rick, pay attention.

The media, all of them, regularly and repeatedly mis-report facts and issues dealing with firearms.

[RickSp]

So you really believe that a one word mistatement justifies your reaction?

Or do you deny the point that the writer was making, that the gun used by Muhammed and Malvoy is a dangerous weapon? Is there any falsehood in that statement?

[Zeebadee]

Perhaps this shooting incident is more indicative of a growing sense of frustration with what has become a "legal system" instead of a "justice system". Too often these days we get rulings based on which side has the "best" lawyer, with best being defined as the most manipulative and conniving. While most of us may have little intimate knowledge of what this legal system is capable of, I have seen through close friends what can happen to an average person that makes a mistake. Too often the average person is steamrollered by a DA with an unlimited budget (which the citizen himself pays for through his taxes), unlimited resources, and an unlimited time schedule, while he himself is totally on the hook for whatever legal representation he can afford. As this legal system becomes more and more unresponsive to the average citizen, these types of incidents may become much more prevalent.

[Zeebadee]

Quote by: RickSp So you really believe that a one word mistatement justifies your reaction? Or do you deny the point that the writer was making, that the gun used by Muhammed and Malvoy is a dangerous weapon? Is there any falsehood in that statement?

Do you really not understand the issue here?? The issue isn't whether the gun is high powered, or a sniper's rifle, the issue is how the media characterizes the weapon. The media routinely attempts to inflame public opinion by deliberate misrepresentation and slanting their reporting. The issue isn't the gun, the issue is how we continue to get biased news reports.

[RickSp]

Quote by: Zeebadee Do you really not understand the issue here?? The issue isn't whether the gun is high powered, or a sniper's rifle, the issue is how the media characterizes the weapon. The media routinely attempts to inflame public opinion by deliberate misrepresentation and slanting their reporting. The issue isn't the gun, the issue is how we continue to get biased news reports.

Then I ask you to read the two sentences that has Osborn so upset. Other than the mistake regarding "high powered" vs"high velocity", which seems pretty trivial to me, please explain how the rest of the two sentences is either innaccurate or represents a "biased news report".

I would also be interested in how you might generalize the actions of an apparent murderer and sniper into a broader statement about the legal system.

[gr8fuldaniel]

Society is the culprit here.

Its OK to kill on a whim. Our society has not risen up as one and said "End the savage murders we commit every day, on our neighbors". Our government tells us, "Thou shalt not kill!", with its fancy laws. Whilst at the exact same moment we have armed soldiers on foreign soil murdering innocent men, women and even children....with absolutely no sign of regret, remorse or even an apology. We, as a civilized society have not rushed the gates of the WH to stop these murders done in our name. We pay the assassins to do it.

Murder is OK.

You are a hypocrite if you set hound dogs after Darren Mack, while cheering for the massacre abroad.

Edit to add:
Thanks for the the link to tha WaPost story rick. Unbiased reporting