By AP
DETROIT –
Federal prosecutors who are trying to keep nine Michigan militia members in jail say they don't need to show there was imminent danger when they charged and arrested them.
In a court filing, prosecutors responded Thursday to a judge's concern that they haven't revealed a specific plot against the United States. The nine are charged with conspiracy to commit sedition, or rebellion against the government.
They are members of a southern Michigan group called Hutaree. U.S. District Judge Victoria Roberts soon will decide whether to release them from jail until trial.
Prosecutors claim militia members plotted to kill police officers as a first step toward broader violence. But defense lawyers say it's just a case of irrational speech, not sedition.