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I believe that none of them are guilty of conspiracy unless one of the plotters took some substantial action to carry out the plot. Any lawyers here care to comment?

I believe that none of them are guilty of conspiracy unless one of the plotters took some substantial action to carry out the plot. Any lawyers here care to comment?

Senator Stennis D-Ms was one of the senators targeted and within a year had been shot. I think this could be the reason.

One of the senator victims in the plot was shot in the chest a year later and the crime was never solved. He was a Democrat, too.

Although Kerry took part in the vote, the implication of that participation being that he would abide by an affirmative outcome even though he himself voted against the assassination, it would be a stretch to go after him for conspiracy. Yes, both the discussion and vote could be construed as part of the process of furthering the conspiratorial end but I don't think such a claim against Kerry could have succeeded in court.

That said, Kerry had knowledge of the assassinations that others in his group were advocating and failed to report it to the FBI or other law enforcement agency, which (IMHO) would make him guilty of misprision of felony. Considering that the conspiracy he failed to report took place while we were at war and was intended to give aid and comfort to the enemy (with whom members of his group had consulted before hatching the conspiracy), he would also (IMHO) be guilty of misprision of treason.

misprision

[mis-'pri-zhen]

Anglo-French, error, wrongdoing, from Old French, from mesprendre to make a mistake, from mes- wrongly + prendre to take, from Latin prehendere to seize

1: neglectful or wrongful performance of an official duty

2: a clerical error in a legal proceeding that can be corrected in a summary proceeding

3: the concealment of a treason or felony and failure to report it to the prosecuting authorities by a person who has not committed it
Example: misprision of felony
Example: misprision of treason