Opinion ID: 146506
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Factual and Procedural Background. The Letters

Text: Between September 7 and November 9, 2006, Castagana mailed a total of fourteen envelopes containing notes with threatening language along with a white powdery substance, which was in fact not a biological weapon, but rather a mixture of laundry soap and cleanser. These letters were sent to comedians Jon Stewart and David Letterman, Viacom executive Sumner Redstone, Representative Nancy Pelosi, Senator Charles Schumer, and MSNBC political commentator Keith Olbermann. The letters threatened their recipients and expressed hostility to their assumed left-wing political views. A few examples follow: Do you remember what happened to that loudmouth Alan Berg back in the 1980s? You should Mr. Jon Stewart New York City is so full of demagogues, I hope your kind live to see your city destroyed in your lifetime! (Gov't Trial Ex. 3.) Keith Olbermann, There are too many demagogues in America. All of you are poisoning the well! Time to give your kind a taste of your own medicine . . . (Gov't Trial Ex. 4.) Hey Jon Stewart We Americans have ways of dealing with demagogues like you! You poison our well with your leftwing vitriol We return the action . . . (Gov't Trial Ex. 5.) Death to Demagogues NYC = Judas City (Gov't Trial Ex. 9.) The letters with their white powder understandably caused massive and costly reactions in the offices of the recipients and relevant government agencies. Within days of sending the last letter, Castagana was apprehended at his home. After being advised of his Miranda rights, he admitted to having sent the letters. He stated that he had not intended to hurt anyone, but also described various steps he had engaged in to avoid being caught: he wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints on the letters, he mixed various powders together to make them harder to identify, he mailed the letters from a location away from his home to make them harder to track, and he used fictitious return addresses of celebrities to make it more likely that the celebrity recipients would open the envelopes. Castagana expressed regret that he had sent the letters himself, as well as surprise at being caught so quickly. Castagana also admitted that his goal in including the powder was to get attention for the letters, but denied that it was symbolic or meant to represent anthrax. He did, however, state that the powder signified that liberals had become toxic, and represented the toxic messages with which the celebrity liberals were polluting the airways.