Loughner to Face Federal Charges First

The long legal road ahead for Jared Lee Loughner is beginning to take shape. Federal prosecutors will get the first crack at him, followed separately by the state and local cases, reports the Los Angeles Times. So far, the 22-year-old faces only three federal charges—for the attempted assassination of Gabrielle Giffords and the attempted murder of two of her aides. Plenty more will follow related to the spree that killed six and wounded 13, including some that carry the death penalty.

In another development, the federal judge in the case ruled that Loughner must be escorted from Phoenix to Tucson sometime next week to provide writing samples to the FBI, notes the Arizona Daily Star. Prosecutors hope to eventually match them up against written threats found inside his home.
(More Jared Lee Loughner stories.)