Montgomery County State's Attorney Douglas F. Gansler said today that he was encouraged by local and federal law enforcement officials to file the first charges against the Washington-area sniper suspects to ease public concerns.
"We had a meeting that day, and everybody encouraged us to file charges that day," Gansler said, referring to the many members of the task force investigating the shootings. "The community's fears would have been assuaged, and they would have been able to go about their daily lives."
On Oct. 25, Gansler, 40, the county's top prosecutor since 1998, filed the first murder charges against John Allen Muhammad, 41, and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17.
The day before, the suspects were arrested at a Maryland rest stop near Frederick. Gansler contended then that Montgomery County had the strongest case against the suspects, as seven of the 10 homicide victims at the time lived there.
The move angered federal officials, who wanted a collective deliberation about where to try the cases first. The move also is suspected in Attorney General John D. Ashcroft's decision to drop federal charges against the sniper suspects and have them tried in Virginia.
Gansler declined to comment on Ashcroft's motives.
Both Muhammad and Malvo made their first court appearances today -- Muhammad in Prince William County Circuit Court and Malvo in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Maryland has a moratorium on capital punishment.
"We did what we were supposed to do," Gansler said today of his move to file first. "I can't make Maryland more death-friendly or less death-friendly. I can do my job."
Gansler, a Democrat who was re-elected to a second four-year term Tuesday, said he was pleased that the prosecutions are moving forward in earnest.
"We are gratified that these cases are being prosecuted locally instead on the federal level," he said. "Murder is a local crime, and crossing state lines to commit murder is a local crime.
"Now that the federal government is out of it, we're back to the business of prosecuting crime."
Despite the possibility that Muhammad and Malvo could receive the death penalty in Virginia, Gansler said he is still expecting to try them for the shootings in Montgomery County.
"No case is appellate-proof," said Gansler, a former federal prosecutor who pledged to continue working with other law-enforcement officials in the case. "It depends on what could happen in Virginia.
"Victims want to have their day in court, but those issues are further down the road."
"We had a meeting that day, and everybody encouraged us to file charges that day," Gansler said, referring to the many members of the task force investigating the shootings. "The community's fears would have been assuaged, and they would have been able to go about their daily lives."
On Oct. 25, Gansler, 40, the county's top prosecutor since 1998, filed the first murder charges against John Allen Muhammad, 41, and Lee Boyd Malvo, 17.
The day before, the suspects were arrested at a Maryland rest stop near Frederick. Gansler contended then that Montgomery County had the strongest case against the suspects, as seven of the 10 homicide victims at the time lived there.
The move angered federal officials, who wanted a collective deliberation about where to try the cases first. The move also is suspected in Attorney General John D. Ashcroft's decision to drop federal charges against the sniper suspects and have them tried in Virginia.
Gansler declined to comment on Ashcroft's motives.
Both Muhammad and Malvo made their first court appearances today -- Muhammad in Prince William County Circuit Court and Malvo in Fairfax County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Maryland has a moratorium on capital punishment.
"We did what we were supposed to do," Gansler said today of his move to file first. "I can't make Maryland more death-friendly or less death-friendly. I can do my job."
Gansler, a Democrat who was re-elected to a second four-year term Tuesday, said he was pleased that the prosecutions are moving forward in earnest.
"We are gratified that these cases are being prosecuted locally instead on the federal level," he said. "Murder is a local crime, and crossing state lines to commit murder is a local crime.
"Now that the federal government is out of it, we're back to the business of prosecuting crime."
Despite the possibility that Muhammad and Malvo could receive the death penalty in Virginia, Gansler said he is still expecting to try them for the shootings in Montgomery County.
"No case is appellate-proof," said Gansler, a former federal prosecutor who pledged to continue working with other law-enforcement officials in the case. "It depends on what could happen in Virginia.
"Victims want to have their day in court, but those issues are further down the road."