What? He murdered SIX people? Do the other four not count because they weren't "federal employees"?
That was my question too - but I’m thinking the murder charges will be filed locally, not by Feds?
This is only for the federal case. Only murders of federal empolyees would be covered (the judge, Giffords and her assistant).
The state of Arizona will bring charges later.
Most crimes, fortunately, are dealt with by the several states. There is no Federal statute against murder qua murder, because that is the province of the several states. Under the strict interpretation of the Constitution most of us FReepers favor, there is no place for a general Federal statute against murder, as such a statute cannot be fitted within any of the enumerated powers of the Federal government.
I trust Arizona prosecutors will be filing an indictment for all of the murders very soon.
See my Post #95. I'm not sure when those Federal laws were passed, but I thought I read some years ago that these cases were prosecuted under state law, not Federal.
One interesting point here is that there will have to be a lot of information dug up from Loughner's personal belongings and computer files by the Federal prosecutor as part of this case. In the Federal case involving the Congresswoman and the Federal judge, Loughner's lawyer is likely to mount a defense by claiming that the shooting was random and that Loughner didn't know the victims were Federal employees. That strategy might actually work when it comes to the murder charge involving the Federal judge, if the information I've seen is correct. It sounds to me as if the judge just happened to be on the scene after stopping on his way home, and Loughner may have had no idea who he was.
"The 7 Commandments are abridged for the last time, simply reading, "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others." - Animal Farm