Man Nicknamed ‘Sovereign’ Hacked Appalachian Trail Hiker to Death

Via The Daily Beast

Man Nicknamed ‘Sovereign’ Hacked Appalachian Trail Hiker to Death Weeks After Release From Jail: Feds

A man who calls himself “Sovereign” was charged with attacking two Appalachian Trail hikers with a machete, killing one of them—just weeks after he pleaded guilty to threatening other trekkers and was set free, authorities said on Sunday.

James L. Jordan, 30, from West Yarmouth, Massachusetts, allegedly knifed an unidentified man and woman early Saturday morning in an isolated stretch of the 2,190-mile hiking trail that runs through Wythe County, Virginia. The man died and the woman was seriously wounded.

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia called it a “senseless and brutal attack” but did not provide any other details. A criminal complaint will be filed Monday as Jordan makes his initial court appearance.

He faces one count of murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States and one count of assault with the intent to murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

Jordan has allegedly been menacing people on the trail, which is in the midst of its high season, for weeks.

“He was well-known,” said Brian King, a spokesman for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which manages the trail through 14 states with two federal agencies. “The trail has always had a fantastic grapevine.”

What a sicko! Wait, did you catch that one paragraph? Did one of those stick out to you?

Here it is again:

He faces one count of murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States and one count of assault with the intent to murder within the special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States.

WHERE is the "special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States"?!?!??! I've never heard of THAT jurisdiction! Isn't maritime law only for the sea, or unclaimed land? Is the Appalachian Trail not under US law?


Can someone smarter than me (should be most of you) explain to me what the heck is going on here with that paragraph? Did this guy claim to be a sovereign citizen and that is why he is not being charged by the State of Virginia or at least the local municipality?

Has this sicko entered into some kind of legal loophole here? Please, someone explain why this guy, who killed one person and injured the other is NOT being charged by the State.

a reply to: Tempter

refers to the seas and land under federal jurisdiction

like embassies and national parks and military bases.

a reply to: Tempter

I would guess it was done on federally owned property lacking any jurisdictional law enforcement. Can Park Service charge and hold or just transport to the nearest detention center?

a reply to: Tempter

It's what's legally and technically known as a federal enclave. That report should read "Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction.

That little conjunction can say a lot.

Oops!
:

So is this suspect catching a break? Or is he in even worse legal trouble?

If convicted, he ends up in Federal prison? Or is there a special maritime prison?

I believe that anything within 200 miles of the coastline of America is included in this territory. Basically making the entire East, West, and Southern coastal states a higher penalty area. More population control. Put more people in for profit prisons for longer periods.

Yet another reason to carry while out hiking...I've asked several property owners recently if I could carry on their property while looking at land for development. Some said yes, some said no, the ones that said no I decided not to walk their property. Never know if you're going to find some nutbar like this just living off the land and may need to defend yourself.

Lulz

The sovereign citizen machete marauder.

originally posted by: Tempter

WHERE is the "special maritime territorial jurisdiction of the United States"?!?!??! I've never heard of THAT jurisdiction! Isn't maritime law only for the sea, or unclaimed land? Is the Appalachian Trail not under US law?


Can someone smarter than me (should be most of you) explain to me what the heck is going on here with that paragraph? Did this guy claim to be a sovereign citizen and that is why he is not being charged by the State of Virginia or at least the local municipality?

The Federal Courts have jurisdiction over crimes committed on federal lands, such as (but not limited to) national parks, national historic sites, national recreation sites, and national trails. The Appalachian Trail is a national trail.

Even petty crimes. Let's say you got a speeding ticket and you want to fight that speeding ticket. If you got that ticket in your own town from your town's cop, you would go before your local magistrate (usually a county magistrate, but under the purview of the state). If you get the ticket in a big city, it's usually that big city's municipal court judge.

However, if you get that speeding ticket in, say, Yellowstone National Park and you feel like fighting that speeding ticket, you will be doing so in federal court in front of a federal magistrate judge.

By the way, Yellowstone and Yosemite have their own federal courthouses within the park itself. The Appalachian trail does not have its own courthouse, but the federal court districts through which the trail runs handles these petty cases (as well as major cases, such as this murder). For those petty/misdemeanor cases (like someone fined for littering along the trail who might want to fight the littering fine), the nearest federal courthouse usually sets aside one day per month to handle all of those misdemeanor violations in a proceedings called the "Central Violations Bureau" or CVB.

Granted, murder on federal land is a felony offense and not what CVB handles, but similarly since the murder happened on federal land it is the federal courts who has jurisdiction and hears the case.

a reply to: Hypntick

As I approached the wide clearing, with
the dense foliage spread out in a
carpet, I scanned to see if a grizzly
might be coming up the slope.

When I broke through the trees a buck
moose was standing up on the hill
along the far tree line looking at me
with it's back to me, perhaps wary
of hunters. It could trample me so I
halted and then it went away into
the trees.

If I was hurt by nature it was when
rough conditions and terrain combated
me. Or I wasn't careful.

Wild animals attack.

originally posted by: ThatDidHappen
a reply to: Hypntick

As I approached the wide clearing, with
the dense foliage spread out in a
carpet, I scanned to see if a grizzly
might be coming up the slope.

When I broke through the trees a buck
Elk was standing up on the hill
along the far tree line looking at me
with it's back to me, perhaps wary
of hunters. It could trample me so I
halted and then it went away into
the trees.

If I was hurt by nature it was when
rough conditions and terrain combated
me. Or I wasn't careful.

I bet the other hikers that refused to press charges feel really bad. They could have had him convicted for assault before he actually stabbed someone. Also I love hiking but i never go without a firearm I thought it was for mountain lions etc but in today's world things are getting crazy.

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia called it a “senseless and brutal attack”

As if there is any such thing as a sensible and gentle machete attack.

originally posted by: BrianFlanders

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia called it a “senseless and brutal attack”

As if there is any such thing as a sensible and gentle machete attack.

A man rapes your daughter so you sensibly approach him while he sleeps and gently slit his throat with the razor sharp machete blade.

originally posted by: 3n19m470

originally posted by: BrianFlanders

The U.S. attorney’s office for the Western District of Virginia called it a “senseless and brutal attack”

As if there is any such thing as a sensible and gentle machete attack.

A man rapes your daughter so you sensibly approach him while he sleeps and gently slit his throat with the razor sharp machete blade.

A rather bizarre response to me post but whatever dawg.