[wat10000]

The "and outcome" is my point. It has to actually be something that could be a problem. Similar to how it's not attempted murder to cast a magic spell intending to kill someone with it, no matter how sincerely you believe in the magic.

[SilasX]

Okay but in this case, the act, if successful, would have the outcome that it prevents recovery of critical evidence in a homicide, so yes that would count as obstruction. It didn't, of course, because the plan was foiled, but that's not relevant.

(With that said, I agree that 30 years is excessive, even under the heuristic that it should be a greater penalty than the crime it supported.)

[wat10000]

Is that actually true? Were the zines critical evidence in a homicide?