Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with attempted aarson under 18 U.S.C. § 844(i).

On August 26, 2020, around 6:00 p.m., a homicide occurred in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. Not long after the murder, the suspected killer committed suicide near Nicollet Mall. Rumors spread that police had killed the suspect. Police released their video showing the suspect’s suicide. Nonetheless, crowds began protesting in downtown Minneapolis. Tensions escalated, prompting city and state officials to declare a state of emergency, impose a curfew, and deploy the National Guard. Ultimately, after substantial unrest, approximately 72 businesses suffered damage.

Williams apparently knew the murder victim well. Around 8:00 p.m. that night, a Facebook Live video recorded and posted Williams saying, “George Floyd, [r]ound two . . . . We’re fittin’ [sic] tear this city back up.” R. Doc. 383, at 3. Later, around 9:00 p.m., a Speedway Gas Station security camera recorded Williams stealing an automatic change dispenser containing $279 after someone else broke into the gas station with a baseball bat.

A grand jury indicted the Defendant for conspiracy to attempt to start a fire at the Target Headquarters.

Outcome: The jury returned a guilty verdict. Before sentencing, Williams’s presentence
investigation report assigned him a total offense level of 26 and a criminal history
score of VI. The base offense level was 24, which was increased by two levels
because of an enhancement based on intimidating a witness, the Target security
officer. The Guidelines range was 120–150 months. Prior to the sentencing hearing,
Williams urged consideration of certain mitigating factors. These factors included
the comparative conduct of his codefendant, which he alleged was more egregious.
Ultimately, the court sentenced Williams to 120 months’ imprisonment, the low end
of the Guidelines range. In imposing the sentence, the district court discussed
Williams’s blame shifting, his mental illness, his substance abuse, the very serious
nature of the offense, his near-constant criminal history, his witness intimidation,
and his abscondment from pretrial release.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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