Remember the wannabe Christian terrorist group that was arrested in March for plotting to murder a police officer (and subsequently bomb the funeral)? The members of the militia have been released while they await for their trial, on the order of District Judge Victoria Roberts who claims federal prosecutors failed to properly make a case for their incarceration.

The Government relies on the seriousness of the charges as well, to argue that Defendants must be held without bond, because they present a danger to the community. While the Government argues that the Defendants are also a flight risk, its reasons are not persuasive. Importantly, the Court’s Pretrial Services Agency concludes that the Defendants do not present such a risk.

All 9 have been ordered to stay home with an electronic tracking device on their ankle, but a part of me wonders if a bunch of antigovernmental wackos are really going to honor the court’s decision and stay put. This is especially true for anyone facing a possible life sentence. Luckily these guys don’t seem like the brightest bulbs in the bunch, so if they do try take a run for it, I don’t think it’ll be too hard to track them down.

What’s interesting about this case is these wackos didn’t end up actually doing anything, so it’s possible they might argue their First Amendment rights were violated. It’s hard to say how this one will go: they were hoping to kill a lot of cops, and that’s not something which will win you a lot of points with a jury of your peers.