This Could be Interesting

There's a lot of fussing on the web about the NM Terrorist Compound, where a child died under suspicious circumstances.

The first protests arose when the judge decided to release the accused without bail. That's the current trend in pre-trial proceedings. The defendants were likely indigent, given their impoverished surroundings (no running water, rudimentary toilets). As a matter of justice, this has been getting to be the norm. Both the FBI and the local sheriff objected to the practice, in this case.

However, releasing the accused was not without oversight - they were required to wear ankle monitors, and cooperate with the CYS investigators.

The judge in charge, Sarah Backus, has received death threats for her action. This is not an unusual decision for the judge - she's done it for other violent offenders.

NEWS UPDATE: 3 of the accused have had the charges dropped - apparently the 10-day rule for bringing charges applies. The charges could be re-imposed, but, my guess is that they'll let this slip away.

The leader of the group, Wahhaj, whose son died under his care, will not be extradited to GA to face charges of custody interference. Federal charges have been dropped against him, and the only charges that remain are related to child abuse.

One of the formerly accused is in ICE custody - Jany Leveille, a Haitian national. Despite the Arabic names, the remainder are American citizens.

But, yes, the case is being classified as a 'possible' abuse case, involving a 'possible' exorcism on a disabled child that resulted in his death. The main defendant is the son of a famous iman, so, he may just be getting the Standard Special Treatment of Families of the Famous.