Family of man who threatened to kill President Obama and Rep. Maxine Waters begs for leniency in sentencing
Stephen Taubert's loved ones insist that his deadly threats were harmless and he didn't have any intention of acting upon them
The family and legal counsel for Stephen Taubert, the man who threatened the lives of President Barack Obama and Rep. Maxine Waters, has asked for leniency and requested home detention and probation as his sentence.
The family and legal counsel for Stephen Taubert, who threatened the lives of President Barack Obama and Rep. Maxine Waters, among others, has asked for leniency and requested home detention and probation as his sentence.
Taubert, 61, was found guilty in March of targeting prominent Black Democratic leaders because of their race. In response, his family insists that he merely “likes to provoke” and cite the First Amendment as protection of what have been deemed crimes.
Syrcause.com reports that Taubert does not have a history of violence, and those who are hoping he receives a lighter sentence want the threats to be viewed as just words and not actual plans to harm.
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Taubert’s threats were not limited to President Obama and Rep. Waters. It appears that in the past, he also targeted the Quicken Loans Arena (now known as the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse), the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, along with a former mayor of Syracuse and an NAACP office.
Court documents reveal a lawyer for Taubert noted that his client has not received steady treatment for his mental illness, and has undiagnosed autism, in addition to diagnosed schizophrenia, anxiety, and adjustment disorder.
A three-day trial in March resulted in the conviction for influencing, impeding or retaliating against a federal official, threat in interstate commerce, and threats against a former president, which could result in a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. However, it seems more likely that he will receive a lesser sentence of three to five years in prison.
In his phoned threats, Taubert used racial slurs as he stated he would kill Waters and her entire staff. He did the same when he threatened to hang President Obama.
