Tag: Marshfield High School

Teen convicted of massacre plot gets 10 months in jail:

Tobin Kerns has been sentenced to 10 months behind bars with five months time served for his alleged part in a plot to attack Marshfield High School in Massachusetts.

For the first time in my blogging career, I actually mean alleged because it was never proven to my satisfaction that he had an active role in the plot. Unfortunately, I’m not the judge in the case and I think Judge Louis Coffin has been blinded by politics.

Like I’ve said numerous times before when discussing the Marshfield plot, I think there is definitely some chicanery going on considering that the other suspect in this plot is Joe Nee, the son of the head of the Boston police union.

His trial is scheduled to start on Jan 30th. Since Tobin was sentenced to 10 months, Joe Nee should be sentenced to 10 years. In my opinion, it’s his fault that Tobin has to spend even a day in jail, since I consider him the actual mastermind behind the plot. In my opinion, he turned Tobin in to deflect blame from himself. As usual, you can see my previous postings on this in the archives.

The fact that Tobin has to spend even one day in jail is a travesty of justice.

Kerns hearing set for Thursday:

Could there finally be a resolution to the case of Tobin Kerns? Could his long nightmare finally be over, or has it just begun?

For those of you new to the party, Tobin Kerns was arrested back in 2004 for allegedly plotting against his high school, Marshfield High in Massachusetts. At the time of his arrest, I thought he was just another mutant. However, after receiving comments and e-mails from his family and friends and doing a little research on my own, I am convinced that Tobin is innocent.

There have been many delays in reaching a resolution for this case. We just may find out tomorrow what Tobin’s fate is.

Plymouth Juvenile Court Judge Louis Coffin has scheduled a hearing for Thursday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. in the case of former Marshfield High School student Toby Kerns, accused of plotting a Columbine-style attack at the school.

Kerns, 19, was tried as a youthful offender in juvenile court last October, but Coffin did not issue a verdict while waiting for a ruling from the Supreme Judicial Court on the validity of one of the charges against him.

The SJC ruled Aug. 9 that Kerns should be charged on the basis of a state law passed in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, after Coffin had indicated he might apply a different statute.

Kerns was indicted in 2004 on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, promotion of anarchy and the threatened use of deadly weapons at a school, which was the disputed charge. Coffin dismissed the anarchy charge during the trial.

While this is all going on, the man who I believe to be the true culprit, Joe Nee, son of the head of the Boston Police union, has barely even sniffed a courtroom…

Alleged co-conspirator Joseph Nee, 21, was indicted on the same charges, but his case has not yet gone to trial. He will be tried as an adult.

No word on when Nee’s court date is yet.

I encourage you to read the archives about this case.

Good luck Tobin.

SJC rules that 9/11 terrorism law applies to Marshfield teens:

Ten months after the trial of Tobin Kerns officially ended, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has finally ruled on the law that held up Tobins’ verdict.

In a key victory for Plymouth prosecutors, the state’s high court outlined today how a new law aimed at terrorist conspiracies should apply to two teenagers charged with plotting a Columbine-style attack on Marshfield High School in 2004.

In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Judicial Court said the law was crafted to punish people who discuss violent attacks on public places or against individuals. The SJC said for someone to be convicted, prosecutors do not have to prove that the intended target somehow learns about the attack. The court said prosecutors cannot use evidence from co-conspirators to prove their case, but can draw on witnesses who learned about the threats. Today’s ruling is believed to be the first time the SJC provided guidance to judges on how to interpret the five-year-old statute.

I hate to say it, but this does not bode well for Tobin. If any silver lining can be found in this black cloud is this ruling will apply to Joe Nee as well.

No word yet when the judge will deliver Tobin’s verdict.

Judges seek info in Kerns case:

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has requested a transcript of the trial of Tobin Kerns before ruling on the matter of whether or not Juvenile Court Judge Louis Coffin can rule his verdict based on a general threats statute rather than a statue regarding threatening to use deadly weapons which is what Kerns was indicted for.

If Coffin rules based on a general threats statute, the prosecution must prove that the threat was targeted at a specific individual and was communicated to that individual.

Which to my knowledge it wasn’t.

Assistant District Attorney Gail McKenna has 14 days to submit a brief explaining why this such an extraordinary circumstance that the Supreme Judicial Court has to intervene. I wonder if the Joe Nee trial will get this kind of scrutiny.

Kern case continues:

The last we heard on the fate of Tobin Kerns was back in October, when a Massachusetts supreme court justice refused to rule on the interpretation of the law regarding communicating a threat. The matter now is expected to be argued before the full Supreme Judicial Court on February 8th. Let’s hope that Tobin will finally be exonerated come the 8th.

MASSACRE PLOT: Issue in Kerns case going to full top court

The Massachusetts supreme court justice that was expected to hand down a decision regarding the interpretation of the law regarding communicating a threat in the trial of Tobin Kerns has refused to rule in the matter. Prosecutors are planning to argue the matter before the full Supreme Judicial Court. So again, God only knows when Tobin will know whether he’ll be exonerated or not.