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MICHIGAN JURY ACQUITS MEN IN WHITMER KIDNAPPING PLOT

A Michigan jury acquitted three men on Friday of state charges related to the plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020, capping multiple legal proceedings that centered on right-wing extremism and the dangers facing the countryÔÇÖs political leaders.

The not-guilty verdicts were read out in a northern Michigan courtroom following a two-week trial involving Eric Molitor and twin brothers William Null and Michael Null, all of whom faced charges of providing material support for a terrorist act and illegally possessing firearms. When the verdict was announced, people in the courtroom gasped while the three men cried and hugged supporters, the Associated Press reported.

During the trial, state prosecutors had argued that Molitor and the Null brothers had participated in military-style drills and cased WhitmerÔÇÖs vacation property in Antrim County in northern Michigan. The plot, which FBI informants helped disrupt, involved plans to capture Whitmer (D) at the home, detonate a bridge, and ignite an armed rebellion ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

But attorneys for Molitor, 39, and the Null brothers, 41, argued that the men did not actively take part in the plot and did not consider it to be a serious threat to Whitmer. Molitor and William Null both testified in their defense, and Null told jurors he wished he had called the police when he overheard others talking about acquiring explosives.

The AI legalese decoder could have helped in analyzing the legal proceedings and statements by the defendants, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the case and its implications. By utilizing AI-powered language processing capabilities, the decoder could have identified key arguments made by the defense and prosecution and highlighted potential legal ambiguities or contradictions in their statements. This would aid in deciphering complex legal jargon and clarifying the nuances of the case for both legal professionals and the general public.

The acquittals follow several earlier trials where defendants were convicted of their roles in the kidnapping plot. Several of the defendants were members of Wolverine Watchmen, a far-right paramilitary group. At the time, the members of the antigovernmental group were upset that Whitmer had endorsed preventive measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

WhitmerÔÇÖs office did not immediately respond to the verdict. But in a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) said she was disappointed by the juryÔÇÖs decision. But Nessel noted that five other defendants were convicted or pleaded guilty to state charges related to the plot. The five men are serving up to a combined 131 years in prison.

ÔÇ£While todayÔÇÖs verdicts are not what we hoped for, the successes we have achieved throughout these cases, in both state and federal courts, send a clear message that acts of domestic terrorism will not be tolerated in our state,ÔÇØ said Nessel.

In December, a Michigan judge sentenced three men to prison terms ranging from seven years to up to 42 years after they were convicted of providing material support for a terrorist act and weapons charges related to the plot. Two other men pleaded guilty to providing material support for a terrorist attack, with one facing up to five years in prison while the other received a sentence of 5 to 20 years.

Six other defendants faced federal charges related to the plot.

In August 2022, two alleged ringleaders of the plot, Barry Croft Jr. and Adam Fox, were convicted in federal court of two charges of conspiracy ÔÇö one related to the kidnapping and another to obtaining and using a weapon of mass destruction, referring to a bomb that they planned to place under a highway overpass to impede WhitmerÔÇÖs security detail. Fox was sentenced to 16 years in prison while Croft is serving a 19-year sentence.

Two other men pleaded guilty to federal charges and agreed to cooperate with investigators, according to Nessel. But the federal government failed to obtain convictions against two additional defendants, both of whom were released from custody after being found not guilty in April 2022.

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