To me, the fact that they kept coming back onto his property and had fed on his livestock shows they were very much a threat to him and his family members. These bears were habituated to coming onto his property and feeding. It was totally reasonable for him to fear they would come onto his property at any time in the future and view his children as their next meal.
Put that in front of a jury and there’s no way the government gets a conviction.
The Court ruled that because this was a misdemeanor, with only a potential six month sentence and $25,000 fine, it was a “petty offence”, therefore there was no right to a jury trial.
“Put that in front of a jury and there’s no way the government gets a conviction.”
In a red state, yes. In an area heavily populated by communists and with a Soros judge officiating, no.