A Republican Congressman Was Just Ordered To Submit To Law Enforcement Over His Assault
Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-MT) was just ordered to submit to law enforcement for fingerprinting and a mugshot by a Montana judge. The order comes as part of the sentencing for Gianforte’s assault of a reporter from The Guardian during his campaign, earlier this year.
Even though the recently elected House GOP lawmaker was charged with the crime, he managed to avoid the mandatory processing and booking after he beat up journalist Ben Jacobs and broke his glasses.
The Republican pled later guilty to body slamming the innocent reporter who had dared to ask the billionaire Tech CEO about his political position on repealing Obamacare, which would have taken health insurance from at least 22 million Americans and killed tens of thousands. The Bozeman Daily Chronicle writes:
A Gallatin County judge has ordered that U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte must have his mugshot and fingerprints taken as part of his misdemeanor assault conviction.
In a one-page ruling issued Thursday afternoon, Justice Court Judge Rick West ordered that the Republican congressman must report to the Gallatin County Detention Center to provide booking information, including a photograph and fingerprints, no later than Sept. 15.
The Republican’s crime was so egregious, that even Fox News busted him after witnessing the attack.
Unfortunately, the electorate had already mailed in the majority of absentee ballots before Jacobs was assaulted, and Gianforte won a narrow victory against Democrat Rob Quist, who is running again in 2018.
But Gianforte isn’t just going down to the courthouse and entering his information into America’s national criminal database, like millions of young black men wrongfully arrested, without a fight. BDC reports:
In a formal motion filed after the hearing, defense attorneys Bill Mercer of Billings and Todd Whipple of Bozeman argued that state law doesn’t give Justice Court judges discretion to order fingerprints or photographs of defendants.
Gallatin County Attorney Marty Lambert objected to Gianforte’s motion, arguing that Gianforte’s attorneys erroneously interpreted Montana law.
State law does give Justice Court judges the authority to order that a defendant like Gianforte be photographed and fingerprinted, Lambert said.
“Defendant pled guilty to assault. In imposing conditions of (Gianforte’s) deferred term, this Court apparently found that fingerprinting and photographing (Gianforte) was a reasonable condition needed for rehabilitation or for the protection of the victim or society,” Lambert wrote.
The judge sided with prosecutors, who full well understand that a man like Gianforte may commit crimes without thinking of the consequences in the future, just like he did on the eve of this year’s election.
If the Republican lawmaker fails to appear at the county jail for his fingerprinting, the judge has said he’ll hold Gianforte in contempt of court.
Quist had this to say about his convicted Republican congressional opponent: “Say cheese Greg!”
