Anti-choice extremist convicted of murder

The Associated Press reports that James Kopp—already in state prison for the shooting death of Dr. Barnett Slepian—was convicted yesterday on federal charges.

The jury deliberated about four hours over two days before deciding James Kopp violated the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act in the 1998 slaying of Dr. Barnett Slepian.
Kopp, who represented himself during the two-week trial, tried to convince jurors during his closing arguments that he didn’t mean to kill Slepian when he fired from woods into the doctor’s Amherst home. Kopp said he intended only to wound him to prevent him from performing abortions the next day.

Yeah sure. As Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Mehltretter put it, “If you want to injure a person, you don’t shoot them with a high-powered rifle.�

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