Prosecutor: No formal agreement to conspire in refuge tskeover....(OREGON STANDOFF TRIAL NO. 2)

OregonLive ^ | 2/21/2017 | Maxine Bernstein

[Nextrush]

A federal prosecutor told jurors that they won't hear evidence of a formal meeting, written contract or verbal agreement between four men on trial for allegedly conspiring to impede federal employees from carrying out their work at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Instead, they'll be able to infer through the words and actions of defendants Jason Patrick, Duane Ehmer, Jake Ryan and Darryl Thorn that they used the federal property as their own last winter....

The government sought to directly address defense arguments that were effective during the first trial and played role in the acquittals of occupation leaders Ammon Bundy, brother Ryan Bundy and five co-defendants on the same conspiracy and weapons charges. After the first trial, one of the jurors told The Oregonian/Oregon Live that the government failed to prove the elements of the conspiracy charge......

Defense lawyers countered that the defendants on trial weren't leaders of organizers, but followers who were drawn to the refuge for smattering of reasons. They argued there was no organized conspiracy, but a spontaneous gathering of like-minded people.

Ehmer thought the occupation was some sort of a "sit in," and the refuge employees were on "seasonal layoffs,,,,

Thorn's lawyer characterized him as a "bit player swept up in a larger show", who was drawn by the Bundy's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution that he shared and "a desire to belong, to be part of something greater than himself."

Ryan's lawyer described him as "just a theater kid from the country with strong beliefs" about limited government....

"The evidence will fail to show that a single person went out there with the conscious desrie to interfere with anyone that worked there," said Andrew Kohlmetz, Patrick's standby lawyer.......

[Nextrush]

The opening arguments from the second trial in the Oregon Standoff are reported in this story.

"OregonLive" published another story about Greg Bretzing, the first witness for the prosecution.

Bretzing is the retired head of the FBI in Oregon.

Here's part of that story:

".....on cross-examination, defense lawyers forcefully questioned Bretzing about whether the FBI properly followed its guidelines in using the informants and if Bretzing was aware that at least one informant may have 'aided and abetted' occupiers and engaged in unlawful conduct by providing training on guns and hand-to-hand combat.

Andrew Kohlmetz, defendant Jason Patrick's standby lawyer, pointed out that Bretzing didn't want to expose his agents to potential harm but had no problem sending confidential informants-civilians--into the refuge during the occupation.

Kohlmetz asked Bretzing if he personally approved any of the informants engaging in criminal activity on the refuge?

"I don't recall specifically approving," Bretzing replied........"

"I don't recall" sounds like Hillary Clinton's schtick for all those years.

In Nevada, the trial over the Bunkerville Standoff near Bundy Ranch is being delayed till next week.

Federal District Judge Gloria Navarro citing scheduling conflicts in the trial of six 'lower level' defendants at the federal courthouse in Las Vegas.

Ammon Bundy has spoken from his Nevada prison with Gavin Seim, the video is on Gavin Seim's Facebook page.

[novemberslady]

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