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578:" it wasn't murder because it was not malicious or premeditated. He did acknowledge that he had planned the shooting for a year, and that he fired a high-powered rifle with telescopic sights, but that he had only meant to wound the doctor (to keep him from performing abortions). Kopp claimed that murder means "Shoot them in the head, blow up a car, riddle their body with bullets like they do in the movies. That's how you kill someone."
515:, on May 9, 2003. D'Amico told Kopp "It's clear the act is premeditated; there is no doubt about it. You made an attempt to avoid responsibility for the act. What may appear righteous to you is immoral to someone else." The Appellate Division, Fourth Department, upheld the conviction on July 7, 2006 (Shawn P. Hennessy, attorney for respondent and Timothy Murphy, attorney for appellant). He is currently serving his sentence at
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547:, Kopp moved to have the court reporter from his previous state trial read back statements pertaining to abortion. Judge Arcara forbade this, holding that under the federal rules of evidence, Kopp was barred from stating anti-abortion, religious or moral reasoning for his actions, which effectively prevented Kopp from giving any rationale for his actions.
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Irish anti-abortion groups have said they were unaware Mr James Kopp was hiding in
Ireland. He spent 12 months in this State using false identities. ... A Pro-Life Campaign spokesman, Mr John Smyth, said "there was not a murmur going around in any circle that he was here," adding that Mr Kopp would
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in helping Kopp avoid capture. Marra and
Malvasi had communicated extensively with Kopp, telling him also via electronic communications that "the coast is clear", referring to his proposed secretive return to US via Canada, and also to his use of their home as a safe house. On August 21, 2003, they
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in the matter. The instruction chamber of the Rennes Court of
Appeals ruled in favor of extradition. Kopp and his attorney, Herve Rouzaud-Le Bouef, appealed this ruling, stating that the "unsigned embassy letter was 'insufficient' as a guarantee, prompting Ashcroft's unusual direct intervention.
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539:. There are also limitations to witness' accounts. If found guilty in federal court, Kopp faced a mandatory life sentence. Kopp was charged with violating the Clinic Entrances Act and using a weapon in the murder of Slepian. Kopp
347:. Kopp started providing support to anti-abortion groups after his girlfriend underwent an abortion, and used his technical abilities to create special locks that protesters then used on the doors of abortion clinics.
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Judge
Michael D'Amico would be required to find Kopp guilty or not guilty based on a single document of facts. In addition, the judge could not consider lesser charges; he had to find Kopp guilty or not guilty of
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were sentenced to time served, and released in
October that same year. The two fugitive assisters later relocated to Newark, New Jersey and briefly changed their names to Joyce Maier and Ted Barnes.
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plus 10 years for illegal use of a firearm. Additionally, the court ordered his belongings auctioned off in order to pay $ 2.6 million to
Slepian's family. Arcara told Kopp at the end of the trial:
375:. Within hours of the murder, anti-abortion militants posted Slepian's name crossed out on their internet website, which also served as "a virtual hit list of doctors who carry out abortions".
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have been "very foolish" to try to contact groups here. .. A Youth
Defence spokesman, Mr Justin Barrett, was surprised to hear that Mr Kopp spent a year in Ireland.
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by the
National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism, and was "well-known in militant anti-abortion circles, where he was nicknamed Atomic Dog".
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cities during the fall of 1997, in which abortion doctors were shot in their homes". Kopp has been charged by
Canadian authorities in the 1995 shooting of an
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Michael Beebe, "Round Two for James Kopp: Anti-Abortion
Activist Goes on Trial Again This Week for the Sniper Death of and Amherst Abortion Provider",
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It has been speculated that Kopp has committed other crimes besides killing Slepian. The FBI notes that "the shooting was similar to shootings in the
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wrote and performed the song, "Hello, Birmingham" about Kopp's shooting of Dr. Slepian. It is the sixth track on her tenth studio album,
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doctor was shot on October 28, 1997, the bullet narrowly missing their head. The doctor's name has been withheld by Monroe County police.
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was selected to preside. Arcara limited what Kopp could say on the stand and prohibited the defense from showing pictures of aborted
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On April 6, 2009, The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the life sentence holding that all issues raised were without merit.
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activist couple, a Vietnam veteran and former stage and film actor Dennis Malvasi and his wife Loretta Marra of
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In his opening statement to the jury, Kopp said that although Slepian's death was "a full-bore, 100 percent
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from a nearby wooded area, which entered the Slepian home through a rear window. Slepian was a well-known
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On October 23, 1998, at approximately 10 p.m., Barnett Slepian was standing in the kitchen of his home in
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Doug Saunders, "Hidden Face of Murder Frustrates Pursuers". Globe and Mail, October 22, 2002, pp.A9.
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You served as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner. You decided that you know better than any law.
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in 1976, with a bachelor's degree in biology, going on to take a master's degree in embryology from
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1202:"METRO NEWS BRIEFS: NEW YORK; Possible Link Reported in Shootings of Doctors - the New York Times"
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Abortion death hunt muzzles 'Atomic Dog': FBI Kept At Bay by Suspect Using A Secret Email System
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between France and the United States. Ashcroft's promise was made over the objections of
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866:"#253: 06-07-01 STATEMENT BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ON JAMES CHARLES KOPP EXTRADITION"
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on March 12, 2001, with two Irish passports besides his original U.S. document.
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and Jack Fainman were also shot and wounded by unknown assailants. An unnamed
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would not be sought, handed down or applied, a prerequisite according to the
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The FBI believed that Kopp received assistance in fleeing the US, although
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Killer of New York abortion doctor gets maximum 25 years to life sentence
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Murder, Violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) act
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Estanislao Oziewicz, "Potential Jurors Must Reveal Abortion Views".
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Perpetrators of religiously motivated violence in the United States
558:. Kopp dismissed his court-assigned attorney, an assistant federal
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People convicted of murder by the United States federal government
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Discharging a firearm during a crime of violence (18 U.S.C. § 924)
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United States District Court for the Western District of New York
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United States District Court for the Western District of New York
371:. He also maintained a private medical practice in an office in
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401:. He then fled Ireland one step ahead of police on a ferry to
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816:"Public profile on the public FBI's knowledgebase of the FBI"
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Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by New York (state)
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Violating the FACE Act resulting in death (18 U.S.C. § 248)
996:"Judge warns Kopp that representing himself is a mistake"
892:"Court in France Approves Extradition of U.S. Fugitive"
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The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism
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Court TV complete coverage of James Kopp murder trial
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543:. On the second day of the federal trial, and during
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1014:"Kopp gets life without parole in Slepian killing"
1345:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
779:"Anti-abortion groups say they did not meet Kopp"
652:, "The Third Horseman", in season 1, episode 11.
486:in France and returned to the U.S. in June 2002.
1105:Robert Maas, "Abortion Doctor Stabbed in B.C.".
301:by the FBI. He was affiliated with the militant
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367:who performed abortions at a women's clinic in
1380:People convicted of murder by New York (state)
1365:Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism
777:Cusack, Jim; Humphreys, Joe (March 31, 2001).
494:On March 11, 2003, Kopp waived his right to a
1355:California State University, Fullerton alumni
417:On March 29, 2001, Kopp was arrested without
8:
1038:"Sentence upheld in abortion doctor slaying"
1410:University of California, Santa Cruz alumni
1350:Anti-abortion violence in the United States
1230:©️ Righteous Babe Records, Buffalo, NY 1999
675:Anti-abortion violence in the United States
1176:"A shot in the dark - Winnipeg Free Press"
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752:Vulliamy, McDonald & Jeffries (2001)
556:Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act
517:Federal Correctional Institution, Mendota
421:by French law enforcement in the town of
289:. Prior to his capture, Kopp was on the
71:Learn how and when to remove this message
34:This article includes a list of general
1264:Feminist Daily News stories about Marra
1212:from the original on September 17, 2017
711:
690:Domestic terrorism in the United States
601:doctor, Hugh Short, one of a string of
262:who was convicted in 2003 for the 1998
1274:Archive of Kopp's FBI Most Wanted info
1259:Feminist Daily News stories about Kopp
925:"Murder Suspect Agrees to Extradition"
621:Kopp received help from a sympathetic
482:In May 2002, Kopp waived all possible
1182:from the original on December 8, 2015
789:from the original on February 9, 2018
462:Frank Clark, both of whom wanted the
345:California State University Fullerton
299:the 455th fugitive placed on the list
7:
1254:James Kopp: A Chronology of Violence
1079:Anti-Abortion Extremists -James Kopp
945:"Kopp sentenced to 25 years to life"
890:Richburg, Keith B. (June 29, 2001).
826:from the original on January 4, 2017
341:University of California, Santa Cruz
1340:American people convicted of murder
1156:from the original on April 28, 2017
846:"Murder Suspect Arrested In France"
397:under an assumed name and later to
1244:Anti-abortion Extremist James Kopp
359:. Kopp fired a single shot from a
40:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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1279:DOJ statement on Kopp Extradition
390:groups denied they assisted him.
297:. On June 7, 1999, he had become
1400:People from Pasadena, California
541:chose to act as his own attorney
25:
1325:20th-century American criminals
1269:Kopp Flops in Bid for Martyrdom
1012:Michael Beebe (June 20, 2007).
450:New York State Attorney General
327:James Charles Kopp was born in
982:"BOP: Federal Inmates by Name"
649:Law and Order: Criminal Intent
638:Fictional portrayals and media
527:Kopp filed an appeal with the
519:, his BOP ID being 11761-055.
1:
1315:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
550:Kopp was also charged in the
315:He has been referred to as a
1284:Findlaw profile of Kopp case
554:on a count of violating the
258:(born August 2, 1954) is an
104:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
724:September 30, 2007, at the
18:American convicted murderer
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1062:December 27, 2016, at the
339:. Kopp graduated from the
1360:Catholics from California
1335:American criminal snipers
1301:Kopp's Federal Court Case
1084:January 16, 2006, at the
963:December 5, 2005, at the
759:December 2, 2016, at the
603:Remembrance Day Shootings
365:obstetrician/gynecologist
335:, but later converted to
295:Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
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1139:, pg. 1, January 7, 2007
1124:, March 4, 2003, page A3
1111:, July 12, 2000, page A3
646:inspired an episode of
55:more precise citations.
1057:Facts and Figures 2003
572:
502:Bruce Barkett —
474:, and Ashcroft had no
413:Arrest and Extradition
1297:Department of Justice
1293:Public Press Releases
585:Other possible crimes
1289:christiangallery.com
509:second-degree murder
490:Trial and conviction
329:Pasadena, California
171:Second degree murder
139:Pasadena, California
851:The Washington Post
685:Christian terrorism
591:Rochester, New York
310:The Lambs of Christ
185:Life without parole
1330:American assassins
1206:The New York Times
1122:The Globe and Mail
1108:The Globe and Mail
728:bio sketch of Kopp
655:Singer/songwriter
446:extradition treaty
440:promised that the
256:James Charles Kopp
97:James Charles Kopp
86:James Charles Kopp
1026:on June 27, 2007.
998:. April 27, 2006.
930:Los Angeles Times
680:Army of God (USA)
564:life imprisonment
545:cross examination
513:life imprisonment
460:District Attorney
373:Amherst, New York
369:Buffalo, New York
357:Amherst, New York
337:Roman Catholicism
283:Amherst, New York
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695:Donald Spitz
662:To The Teeth
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201:Incarcerated
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1320:1954 births
830:January 17,
793:February 8,
504:Erie County
457:Erie County
431:extradition
331:and raised
293:'s list of
151:Convictions
118:Description
53:introducing
1309:Categories
706:References
631:conspiracy
496:jury trial
323:Early life
129:1954-08-02
36:references
1370:Fugitives
1066:from the
904:0190-8286
317:terrorist
287:abortions
279:physician
61:July 2011
1210:Archived
1180:Archived
1154:Archived
1082:Archived
1060:Archived
1043:NBC News
961:Archived
909:June 26,
875:June 26,
824:Archived
787:Archived
757:Archived
722:Archived
669:See also
627:Brooklyn
611:Perinton
595:Canadian
531:. Judge
470:, not a
427:Brittany
419:incident
403:Brittany
379:Fugitive
333:Lutheran
260:American
240:Captured
189:New York
167:New York
1186:June 9,
969:CourtTV
820:fbi.gov
576:tragedy
537:fetuses
523:Appeals
484:appeals
399:Ireland
266:-style
181:Federal
177:Penalty
155:Federal
110:Charges
49:improve
902:
407:France
395:Mexico
351:Murder
276:OB-GYN
268:murder
264:sniper
223:Number
215:Caught
197:Status
146:Status
141:, U.S.
38:, but
967:from
423:Dinan
385:Irish
361:rifle
281:from
207:Added
1218:2017
1188:2015
1162:2017
971:News
911:2022
900:ISSN
877:2022
832:2019
795:2018
455:and
123:Born
1068:FBI
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291:FBI
270:of
226:455
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