Jurors in the first Bunkerville standoff trial finished their second day of deliberations Monday without reaching a verdict.
The jury received the case Thursday, after hearing two months of testimony in the trial of six people charged as “gunmen” in the April 2014 armed standoff near Cliven Bundy’s ranch. The men are accused of conspiring with Bundy to stop federal agents from seizing his cattle from public land.
A federal prosecutor on Wednesday characterized six Bunkerville protesters as militiamen who heeded rancher Cliven Bundy’s call to arms, while defense attorneys used closing arguments to portray the men as peaceful demonstrators who asserted their constitutional rights.
After six hours of impassioned arguments in a full-to-capacity Las Vegas courtroom, the first of three conspiracy trials resulting from the 2014 standoff in Bunkerville still had not been sent to the jury. Several more lawyers are scheduled to give their closing arguments when court resumes Thursday.
Attorney Marcus Mumford, who last month had criminal charges dismissed against him stemming from his arrest on the day his client Ammon Bundy was acquitted of conspiracy in federal court in Portland, now faces more legal challenges.
Oregon’s Chief U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman is seeking to revoke Mumford’s ability to practice law in any federal court in the District of Oregon, a rare move.
The judge has given Mumford until May 4 to argue in writing why he should not impose such a sanction.
This past Saturday, April 8, I returned home from a week long visit the Sacramento County Jail. I was in jail based upon a Warrant for my arrest for failing to appear at a show cause hearing on March 10. The Warrant and what led up to it will be the subject of a future article.
I am writing this article to explain a system that, quite frankly, ignores our rights, especially when only accused of a crime. It will give a little insight into life behind bars, at least those of the Sacramento County Jail. I can’t say that this compares to the treatment that those currently held in jail in Oregon (Jason Patrick) or Nevada (many still innocent people) are receiving, but, perhaps it will help to understand that they are being treated similarly, or worse.
It will also explain what I have gone through. Now, when I go to Court in Portland, next month, I will be entering the courtroom on the terms that I had to establish. Fortunately, though without a plan going in, the final result is that I achieved a bit more than I could have expected, thanks to Judge Anna Brown.
Federal prosecutors have asked for a start date of June 5 or later in the trial against cattle rancher Cliven Bundy and four other men accused of leading an armed assault on law enforcement officers in 2014.
Closing arguments are expected this week in the trial against the first six defendants charged in the armed standoff in Bunkerville, which occurred after Bureau of Land Management agents tried to carry out an operation to impound Bundy’s cattle from public lands. The trial against the second group of defendants, whom prosecutors have identified as the “leaders” of the standoff, was originally scheduled to open 30 days after the verdict in the first trial.
By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive | April 07, 2017 at 5:34 PM Federal prosecutors in Nevada have asked a judge to schedule the second Bunkerville conspiracy trial for rancher Cliven Bundy, his sons Ammon Bundy and Ryan Bundy and other leading defendants stemming from the 2014 armed standoff near the family ranch for no earlier than June 5. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre urged the court to set a definitive date to help lawyers on both sides prepare for the second trial and assist witnesses in making travel arrangements. The request comes as the prosecutors are still in the […]
Idaho gun enthusiast Eric Parker banked on his commitment to self-defense Thursday when he stepped to the witness stand and tried to convince jurors he played no role in a conspiracy to bully federal agents into abandoning their roundup of hundreds of rancher Cliven Bundy’s cows.
“I didn’t care about the cows,” said Parker, 33, who is one of six people charged as “gunmen” in the 2014 armed standoff in Bunkerville. During the standoff, Parker was photographed pointing a long gun through a jersey barrier on the Interstate 15 overpass that overlooked the sandy ditch where protesters were face-to-face with federal agents.
On January 12, 2016, it was reported by The Oregonian, that a self-proclaimed “U.S. Superior Court judge”, Bruce Doucette, who has been involved in past property rights protests in other states arrived Tuesday in Burns with plans to convene an extra-legal “citizens grand jury” that he said will review evidence that public officials may have committed crimes.
Bruce Doucette, Is reported as being indicted today, the following article publish by the Boulder Daily Camera.
California resident Gary Hunt, speaking by phone from jail Thursday, promised he would show up to court in Portland to defend his right to publish details about FBI informants involved in the investigation of the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
“I give my word, my bond, my honor that I will appear at a time designated by the court,” Hunt told U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown. “Believe it or not, I’ve been looking forward to discussing the issue in your presence.”
The judge responded that she needed more than “his word” before she approved his release from custody.
Atrocities in Gloria Navarro’s Federal Court Room today have the Bundy Ladies and everyone there dumbfounded and appalled. What is happening? What Can We do?
Today the Supreme Court will hear an appeal by seven of those men, who argue that prosecutors violated their right to due process by withholding evidence that would have cast doubt on the government’s allegations. The case shows why, more than half a century after the Court told prosecutors they have a constitutional duty to share evidence that might help defendants, prosecutors have little incentive to take that duty seriously.
In the 1963 case Brady v. Maryland, the Court held that “suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused…violates due process where the evidence is material either to guilt or to punishment.” The Court later explained that evidence is “material” when there is “any reasonable likelihood that it could have affected the judgment of the jury.”
We just want to tell the truth, so why can’t the media go into court and show the world what really goes on in these Federal Courts? Why are they only allowed to take notes and draw pictures? The defendants want an open court and have asked for it but the Judge still refuses media access. The information that goes out by way of the major media is only a spin because their reporters don’t even stay in the courtroom the whole day. They report things of very little concern and try to keep the public in the dark.
WE NEED YOUR ATTENTION URGENTLY, RYAN BUNDY IN HIS OWN WORDS ABOUT THE HORRIFIC CONDITIONS IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
Please listen to this recording of Ryan Bundy dated March 24, 2017. The quality is bad due to the horrible quality of the phone that the prison provides to NON CONVICTED prisoners. But, you should be able to understand most of it, listen with earphones.
URGENT! CALL N. Hackmaster, Assistant Director Prison Operations, U.S. Marshal Service 703-740-8400.
Federal investigators posed as documentary filmmakers in order to draw statements from some of the protesters as they were building their case.
Testimony at the trial revealed that one of the men, defendant Gregory Burleson, was a paid FBI informant from 2012 until an undisclosed date. What sort of information he provided was not disclosed, but he was known to be an active member of Arizona militia groups.
The men are standing trial on charges of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, aiding and abetting, interference with interstate commerce by extortion, and other counts.
Burns Chronicles No 58 “Twice Put in Jeopardy” Gary Hunt Outpost of Freedom March 23, 2017 Of course, we must start with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution, as it is the “supreme Law of the Land. The pertinent part reads: “No person… shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb.” Now, that phrase, “twice put in jeopardy” is also referred to as “Double Jeopardy”, though whichever way we choose to phrase it, the meaning is quite simple. If you are charged with a crime, absent a mistrial […]
Undercover FBI agents posed as documentary filmmakers for a production titled “America Reloaded” to draw statements from the men who rushed to support rancher Cliven Bundy in his 2014 stand against the federal government.
The undercover operation has been alluded to in previous court filings, but it was detailed in federal court Wednesday when FBI Special Agent Charles Johnson testified as a government witness in the trial against six men accused of conspiring to block Bureau of Land Management agents from impounding Bundy’s cattle.
By Maxine Bernstein | The Oregonian/OregonLive Updated March 21, 2017 at 7:27 PM Pleas to felony charges in Oregon standoff case/sentencing dates: -Brian Cavalier pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy to impede and possession of firearms in a federal facilities. Sentenced Oct. 25, 2016 to time served, or nine months. -Blaine Cooper pleaded guilty to conspiracy charge. Sentencing set for May 24, 2017. -Jon Ritzheimer pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Sentencing set for June 21, 2017 -Joe O’Shaughnessy pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Sentencing set for Oct. 23, 2017. -Ryan Payne pleaded guilty to conspiracy. Sentencing set for June 15, 2017. -Wesley […]
A federal judge on Tuesday found four men guilty of trespassing and other misdemeanor charges for their roles in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last winter.
U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown issued her rulings in court against Jason Patrick, Duane Ehmer, Darryl Thorn and Jake Ryan — the final four defendants in the Malheur case to go on trial.
Shortly afterwards, Patrick was taken into custody by deputy U.S. marshals, after the judge ordered he be placed on electronic monitoring and given a curfew as he awaited sentencing.
Las Vegas – As the fifth week of the first of three 2014 Bundy Ranch Standoff trials gets under way, prosecution continues its second week of Facebook evidence and supporting testimony. FBI agents made a methodical presentation of sections of more than 12,000 pages of Facebook posts and messages collected in a government search. FBI Agent Sara Draper, testified that over 1000+ FBI agents were used to gather and review the Facebook evidence being introduced.
Navarro rejected a steady litany of defense objections that the Facebook messages were more prejudicial than probative. Not all defendants were mentioned in the posts, nor have all yet been directly tied to militia organizations. While some militia groups portray themselves as constitutionally focused fraternal organizations that aid their local communities in times of crisis, others espouse anti-government rhetoric and even nationalistic and white supremacist views while advocating violence against federal employees.
Madison — The U.S. is entering a period when its commitment to religious liberty is being tested, Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito told an audience Wednesday at an event sponsored by a Catholic lawyers’ organization.
Alito used his own words from his dissent in the Supreme Court’s landmark same-sex marriage case, telling the gathering he had predicted opposition to the decision would be used to “vilify those who disagree, and treat them as bigots.”
“We are seeing this is coming to pass,” he said, then mentioned Bob Dylan’s famous song lyric, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.”
U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown often warned defendants, defense lawyers and spectators that she wouldn’t tolerate outbursts or laughter in the courtroom during the conspiracy trials against the occupiers of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
One man, often hunched over a small pad of paper and scribbling with a pencil in the back row, paid close attention to fill the void.
Scott Klatt would take notes on the witnesses or exchanges in court, quickly draw a brief scene, add a caption and some dialogue. Then he’d post his “Bundy Court Sketches” on Twitter and Facebook, providing plenty of laughs long after court recessed.
A Nevada Highway Patrol sergeant who responded to the 2014 protests in Bunkerville testified Monday that he was “jealous” of one of Cliven Bundy’s supporters because the man carried a radio that broadcast police scanner activity better than a state-issued device.
“Our radios weren’t that clear. I was kind of jealous because his was better than ours,” Sgt. Shannon Selena told jurors Monday.
He was referring to Gregory Burleson, one of six men in the first group of a three-part federal trial against Bundy and 16 others accused of conspiring to block federal agents from rounding up the rancher’s cows. The jury seated for the first trial has heard hours of testimony about law enforcement’s assessment of the general threat level during the April 2014 standoff, but Monday marked the first time a government witness singled out a defendant for his role in the protests.
Special federal prosecutors assigned to the criminal case against Ammon Bundy’s lawyer filed a motion Monday to dismiss all the charges against Marcus Mumford.
The motion comes more than three weeks after a judge dropped one of three charges against Mumford and ruled that he would decide the remaining two charges after a trial.
It also comes on the first business day after a federal jury in Portland found four remaining defendants guilty on a variety of chargesstemming from the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Some defendants in Nevada, Oregon prosecutions claim 1st Amendment press protection
A flurry of dramatic property and civil rights-related trials is taking place across the western U.S. in federal courts, in which defendants, including independent media representatives, are charged with up to 17 crimes each, from trespass to terrorism.
All the accused had confronted or ignored law-enforcement officers in group protests in either 2014’s Bunkerville, Nevada, confrontation or 2016’s similar standoff in Harney County, Oregon. Both showdowns were responses to perceived overreach of federal bureaucracies – chiefly the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.