In
that there has been considerable recent interest in my old blog posts concerning Zackariah
Peterson; I thought I would update the judicial process posted in the
OregonianLive newsfeed dated 7-28-16 (Maxine Bernstein reporting). I kind of loss tract of the case over the
years. Hopefully, Peterson has moved on
to a responsible and productive life upon serving his sentence.
Bernstein quote: "Upon
arrest, Peterson admitted to police that he had left the voicemail messages and
wrote the online post, that he had been drinking and had no intention of acting
out on his threats. Police found firearms in his home and seized them,
including a 12-gauge shotgun, .22-caliber pistol, a 7mm rifle, and a
.22-caliber rifle. He was taken into federal custody on Sept. 11, 2015.”
“In
March, he pleaded guilty to felon in possession of a firearm and threatening
communication in interstate commerce.”
" I'd like to take the opportunity to apologize,'' Peterson, 30, said in court,
addressing several parents from the school, the principal and a math teacher.
"When I realized what I'd done, I felt horrible about it. I can't imagine
how it made you all feel. I just can't believe what I did.''
"A
defense-hired psychologist, Scott Senn, testified that Peterson is extremely
bright but struggles with alcoholism, intimacy and emotions. He was scarred as
a child, and the bullying went unaddressed."
"Assistant
U.S. Attorney Greg Nyhus and Assistant U.S Attorney Mackeson jointly
recommended a sentence of one year and nine months."
"But
U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown calculated Peterson's offense level
differently, with an enhancement due to his possession of what she considered a
.22-caliber rifle with a high-capacity magazine. She also noted that Peterson,
who was convicted of a felony in 2006, wasn't allowed to possess any guns."
"The
threat conveyed is appalling...words used were as bad as you can imagine,
especially in today's climate," the judge said. "I appreciate those
who felt the sting and horror and alarm from his remarks and want to be
protected."
"But
Brown said she can't ignore an evaluation that found Peterson is at a low risk
of re-offending. She said she believes that if his mental health issues and
alcohol problem is addressed, he should be able to return to pursuing his Ph.D.
when he's completed his sentence."
"I'm
very shameful of this. All of this here today happened because I was too proud
to seek help that I knew I needed for my drinking and mental health issues,''
Peterson said, standing before the judge moments before she issued her
sentence. "I should have known better than to create this situation...If
there is one benefit for having been incarcerated for almost a year is I'm
sober.''
True Nelson
