Two Illegal Immigrants Win Arizona Ranch in Court Fight

The New York Times ^ | 08/19/05 | Andrew Pollack

[RoyalsFan]

By ANDREW POLLACK Published: August 19, 2005 DOUGLAS, Ariz., Aug. 18 - Spent shells litter the ground at what is left of the firing range, and camouflage outfits still hang in a storeroom. Just a few months ago, this ranch was known as Camp Thunderbird, the headquarters of a paramilitary group that promised to use force to keep illegal immigrants from sneaking across the border with Mexico.

Now, in a turnabout, the 70-acre property about two miles from the border is being given to two immigrants whom the group caught trying to enter the United States illegally.

The land transfer is being made to satisfy judgments in a lawsuit in which the immigrants had said that Casey Nethercott, the owner of the ranch and a former leader of the vigilante group Ranch Rescue, had harmed them.

"Certainly it's poetic justice that these undocumented workers own this land," said Morris S. Dees Jr., co-founder and chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., which represented the immigrants in their lawsuit.

Mr. Dees said the loss of the ranch would "send a pretty important message to those who come to the border to use violence."

[Mini-14]

Mr. Sutton settled for $100,000. Mr. Nethercott and Mr. Foote did not defend themselves, so the judge issued default judgments of $850,000 against Mr. Nethercott and $500,000 against Mr. Foote.

The defendants should have hired a lawyer.

[Gritty]

"Rascality has limits. Stupidity has none!" - Napoleon Bonaparte

This sort of outrage can rapidly evolve into a "shoot, shovel, and shut up" scenario.

Bad precedent. Very bad. Dangerous, in fact. This is the sort of thing which guarantees good will and reason dissolve and blood starts to flow.

Our leaders are fools. This illegal immigration issue has been percolating gaily on for years but is about to really get out of control. These "leaders" had better do something very, very quickly and get our borders under control - and not only the borders but all the interior of this country which is being overrun by legions of these illegal aliens who are descending like locusts.

[TomasUSMC]

What are the odds, if some Americans entered illegally into Mexico and were beaten up, that they would get some mexican land worth 120,000 dollars handed to them by the mexican courts?

[diamond6]

I hate our court system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moehoward]

.... question remains: if Americans are the ones providing the incentive,.....

That's a flawed assumption. "Americans" aren't. What we have is a relatively small percentage of American co-conspirators that do deserve an equal amount of Government's attention.

"Americans" or a majority of them, want this invasion stopped yesterday

[janetgreen]

I'm so angry that I can't comment on this.

[janetgreen]

Here's how to contact the UNAMERICAN assh*** Morris Dees:

http://www.splcenter.org/center/contact.jsp

[r9etb]

That's a flawed assumption. "Americans" aren't. What we have is a relatively small percentage of American co-conspirators that do deserve an equal amount of Government's attention.

Most of the "small percentage" of Americans employing the several million illegal aliens here, are the people who grow your food, and provide all manner of manual labor. Go ahead and slap 'em down if you want. But understand that you may not enjoy the consequences of putting those folks out of business.

I think it's better to get more positive control over the folks who do come here to work (i.e., the "guest worker" idea, with appropriate safeguards); than to treat the problem with the same notable success we've had with the War On Drugs (which uses, BTW, the same tactics suggested by so many on this and similar threads).

[justshutupandtakeit]

Are you full of shiite about everything or is this just an unusual display of folly?

[r9etb]

Are you suggesting that these fellows should be murdered?

[justshutupandtakeit]

It is the State which is the plaintiff in murder trials not an individual.

[bayourod]

""The American people have no-one to turn to." Blood in the Streets? It's beginning to appear our so-called leaders are paving the way for this to happen. "

Did you recently join FR just for the purpose of encouraging armed insurrection?

That type of talk reflects badly on everyone on FR. There may be a young lawyer FReeper who some day gets nominated to a federal judgeship and is not confirmed because he was registered on FR. Your post could be Exhibit "A".

[VeniVidiVici]

Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up" loons don't get that all they are doing is hurting the cause of immigration control.

What immigration control?

[ZULU]

If I said what I wanted to say, I'd get arrested.

This is a total disgrace. Every official involved in this charade of justice from the top on down should pay the price.

[Publius6961]

BUMP!

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

"And, what's frustrating, is that the bunch of "Shoot, Shovel and Shut Up" loons don't get that all they are doing is hurting the cause of immigration control.:

How many of the people posting those comments are really interested in controlling our borders, and how many are trolling?

[traviskicks]

There isn't enough info in this story, if there is a followup or more information I'd appreciate a ping on it. This is unbelievable. What sort of country allows trespassers to seize the home that they trespass on?

[bayourod]

"Perhaps you meant to say "illegal aliens?" "

Yeah, sure, of course he did. They always do don't you know? They follow the Buchanan/Tancredo rule that as long as you insert the word "illegal" people cannot call you a racist.

Tancredo opposes the Denver library having books in Spanish because it might encourage "illegal" Hispanics to use the library.

[Iron Eagle]

"Remember you dont have to have a unanimous vote in a civil proceeding."

That varies from state to state. Unanimous is usually still required in most states.