A Sierra Vista man accused of using black powder and a bowling ball to create an improvised explosive device (IED) which he set off for fun in a residential area in May could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of all 17 felonies, after a judge denied a defense motion to dismiss some of the charges.
James Franklin Jaggers III was arrested May 17 after officers responded to a report of a large explosion in a residential area in the 200 block of Coronado Lane south of Fry Boulevard. Officers located chunks of a bowling ball strewn around the neighorhood; a bomb expert later determined there had been a 30 foot blast radius.
Jaggers, 35, was indicted by a Cochise County grand jury with 7 counts of endangerment, 5 counts of manufacturing prohibited weapons, and 5 counts of possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited possessor based on a felony conviction more than a decade ago. The Cochise County Attorney’s Office has not alleged any intent on Jaggers’ part to harm anyone or destroy any property.
The endangerment charges, however, reflect to potential harm to neighbors, while the manufacturing charges stem from the one black powder explosive device Jaggers detonated with a fuse and other “devices” he was purportedly in the process of making.
But defense attorney Joshua Jones argued at a hearing last week that the prohibited possessor charges should be dismissed, as Arizona state law refers specifically to a felon’s loss of the right to possess firearms, even though under another Arizona law convicted felons who have not regained their right to possess a firearm are also prohibited from possessing ammunition and other “deadly weapons” such as most knives.
Jones also argued that black powder on its own should not be considered a deadly weapon.
Judge Laura Cardinal of the Cochise County Superior Court rejected the defense arguments during the hearing. Jaggers, who appeared in the courtroom in arm and leg shackles, sobbed next to his attorney after Cardinal ruled against the motion to dismiss.
Cardinal also encouraged Jaggers to take part in an upcoming settlement conference with another judge in hopes of negotiating a plea deal with the county attorney’s office. And the judge expressed concerns with the conditions under which Jaggers is being held at the jail.
Jaggers has remained in the Cochise County jail since his arrest, initially on a no-bail order which was later reduced to $100,000 bail. However, without sufficient assets to cover the bail, he must remain in the Cochise County jail until trial.
According to a Sierra Vista Police Department news release, officers responded shortly before 5 p.m. on May 17 to a report of an explosion. SVPD evacuated neighboring homes and called in the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit from the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS EOD).
The explosive device determined to be homemade. A court-authorized search of the residence led to the seizure of chemical compounds and hazardous explosive materials, along with what appeared to be the remains of another explosive device.
“When questioned about blowing up the bowling ball, Jaggers claimed to be just mixing compounds,” the SVPD news release stated.
