Attorney General Jeff Sessions
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530 -0001
Dear Attorney General Jeff Sessions,
The undersigned members of the Idaho Legislature have a high respect for the rule of law. We are
tasked with the responsibility to protect our citizens’ constitutional rights. We believe that the right to a
speedy trial and the presumption of innocence are essential pillars to law, order, and a Republican form
of government. We also believe that a trial by jury of one’s peers is the highest form of justice as set
forth by our founders . Ensuring government stays within the bounds of its proper constitut ional role
empowers the people through a jury’s verdict to give clear guidance as to their will.
We the undersigned believe that in the case of “The Bunkerville Stand Off’ trials in the State of Nevada
in which Eric Parker and 0. Scott Drexler of the State of Idaho were charged with 40 criminal counts in
connection with the above case having been found not guilty speaks volumes to the public of their
innocence. U.S. Attorneys have been unsuccessful obtaining guilty verdicts not once, but twice,
establishing criteria for dismissal of charges against them according to our standards of justice. Further
exploitation of these citizens would be an affront to justice and notice to the public of prosecutorial
harassment.
We believe that the decision by the current U.S. Attorney of Nevada to prosecute these men a third time
represents disrespect for the rule of law and the Jury system. A third trial would show blatant disregard
for tax funds collected from hard working law abiding citizens who are represented by these juries
whom have found them innocent of 34 of the 40 charges and hung by the very slimmest margins in
those where the jury stood deadlocked. The decisions of 10-2 to acquit in the first trial and 11-1 to
acquit in the second trial highlights the narrow margin by which the prosecution hopes to continue their
attack.
Todd Engel of Boundary County, Idaho is to be sentenced on September 28th for minor charges in regard
to this action. We ask you, the court and the prosecutors to consider his time served as punishment
enough.
Ammon Bundy, an Idaho resident, remains in custody awaiting trial directly after the final outcome of
the pending prosecutions decision with Parker and Drexler. Ammon has been in custody since January
of 2016 without benefit of bail or the comfort of home and family in spite of being found not guilty of all
counts in the Oregon trial. Ammon has been stripped of normal due process for a prosecution that now
seems flimsy as we discover evidence exposed during these previous hung trials of others for similar
offenses. This prosecution sends a chilling message to the public who are concerned about federal
overreach in their daily lives that is inharmonious to well-established constitutional guarantees. The
percentages of jurors causing the hung verdicts in these trials should send a clear signal to the
government prosecutors of the jury ‘ s reticence to further prosecute these defendants as has clear ly
been received by the public.
We respectfully ask you, Attorney General Sessions to have those in charge of this case end this long
enduring action and set Eric Parker and Scott Drexler free, set reasonable bail for Ammon Bundy and
allow Todd Engel to use his time served as tota l sentencing.
Sincerely,
~ ‘–\f) . Q~ h ~ d ~
Representative Dorothy Moon
District 8 B
Representative Mike Moyle, District 14 A
Representative Brent Crane, District 13 A
Representative Heather Scott, District 1 A
Senator Steve Vick, District 2
Representative Ron Mendive, District 3 A
Senator Dan Foreman, District 6
Representative Priscilla Giddings, District 7 A
Representative Terry Gestrin, District 8A
Representative Judy Boyle, District 9 B
Representative Greg Chaney, District 10 B
Representative Joe Palmer, District 20 A
Senator Clifford Bayer, District 21
Senator Lori Den Hartog, District 22
Representative Christy Zito, District 23 A
Representative Steve Miller, District 26 A
Senator Jim Guthrie, District 28
Representative Bryan Zollinger, District 33 B
Representative Karey Hanks, District 34 8
Senator Sheryl Nuxoll, District 7 Retired
Senator Monty Pearce, District 9 Retired
Representative JoAn E, Wood, District 35 A Retired
cc:
President Donald J. Trump
Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue
Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke
Senator Mike Crapo
Senator Jim Risch
Congressman Raul Labrador
Congressman Mike Simpson
Judge Gloria Navarro
U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre
House of Representatives Judiciary Committee Chair Goodlatte
United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Grassley
Majority leader
Assistant Majority Leader
Representative Sage Dixon, District 1 B
Representative Vito Barbieri, District 2 A
Representative Mike Kingsley, District 6 8
Representative Thyra Stevenson, District 6 A
Representative Paul Shepherd, District 7 B
Senator Steven Thayn, District 8
Representative Brandon Hixon, District 10 A
Representative Christy Perry, District 11 B
Representative James Holtzclaw, District 20 B
Representative Steve Harris, District 21 A
Representative Jason Monks, District 22 B
Representative Megan Blanksma, District 23 B
Senator Kelly Anthon, District 27
Senator Mark Harris, District 32
Representative Ron Nate, District 34 A
Representative Lenore Barrett, District 8 Ret.
Representative Pete Nielson, District 23 Ret
