Posted on 11/17/2016 4:00:46 AM PST by Nextrush
Federal prosecutors signaled Wednesday that they plan to go forward with a trial in February against the remaining occupiers charged in the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
But they asked to delay summoning a jury as they continue to evaluate how to proceed against the six men and one woman still facing a federal conspiracy charge in the Oregon standoff case.
The prosecutors' much-anticipated court filing didn't reveal any hints of their strategy in the wake of the surprising acquittals of the occupation's key figures last month. Defense attorneys, including Oregon's federal public defender, and some of the defendants themselves urged the government to drop all charges.
It's possible that prosecutors could seek to re-indict them on less serious misdemeanor charges such as criminal trepassing or destruction of property while dismissing the conspiracy count that couldn't be proved against occupation leader Ammon Bundy and the others.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight declined comment.
The trial is set for Feb. 14 for Jason Patrick of Bonaire, Georgia; Duane Leo Elmer of Irrigon; Dylan Anderson of Provo, Utah; Sean Anderson and Sandra Lynn Anderson, both of Riggins, Idaho; Darryl W. Thorn of Marysville, Washington, and Jake Ryan, of Plains, Montana...
They were among 26 people indicted on a conspiracy charge....
Defense lawyers are preparting to go to trial in three months as scheduled, said Ryan's lawyer Jesse Merrithew, who is acting as liason with prosecutors.....
Prosecutors have been consulting closely with the U.S. Department of Justice's main office in Washington D.Cc. on the case and continue to do so.
"I can't imagine what the U.S. Department of Justice is like right now," Merrithew said, referring to the immediate aftermath of the presidential election of Donald Trump.....
(Excerpt) Read more at oregonlive.com ...
The feds could decide to prosecute on lesser charges since their overkill case failed to convince a jury for the other defendants.
And with changes coming in Washington, there are other possibilities for this case.
We shall see....
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Knight declined comment.
The trial is set for Feb. 14”
Something tells me two things:
1. Ethan Knight will be gone right after 1/20/17
2. The trial won’t happen at all.
I understand that the supposed crimes occurred in two separate states, but if the Fed are the ones going after them and not individual states, how can they be tried twice?
“I can’t imagine what the U.S. Department of Justice is like right now,”
Still full of Marxists.
Probably working the paper shredders and ‘bleaching’ electronic records.
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