Judge shields evidence in Fort Riley bomb case

By

The Associated Press

This 2010 yearbook photo provided by Topeka Public Schools from a Topeka West High School shows John Booker. Booker, accused of planning a suicide attack at Fort Riley, was arrested Friday, April 10, 2015, while trying to arm what he thought was a bomb near the Kansas military base as part of a plot to support the Islamic State group, federal prosecutors said. (Topeka Public Schools/AP)

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A federal judge has shielded from public disclosure evidence the government turns over to attorneys for a Kansas man accused of trying to bomb an Army installation.

The order signed Friday in the case of 20-year-old John T. Booker Jr. comes at the request of prosecutors and with the agreement of the defense team. The government says the evidence includes general discovery typical in criminal cases, as well as declassified and sensitive law enforcement materials.

Dissemination of the information is limited for use in preparing for trial.

The order does not apply to classified information, which is governed by a separate statute.

Booker is accused of trying to arm a 1,000-pound bomb near Fort Riley. He is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and related crimes.