Posted on 08/19/2005 2:19:28 PM PDT by radar101
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, 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."
Mr. Mancía, who lives in Los Angeles, and Ms. Leiva, who lives in the Dallas area, have applied for visas that are available to immigrants who are the victims of certain crimes and who cooperate with the authorities, Ms. Bruner said.
Mr. Mancía and Ms. Leiva were caught on a ranch in Hebbronville, Tex., in March 2003 by Mr. Nethercott and other members of Ranch Rescue. The two immigrants later accused Mr. Nethercott of threatening them and of hitting Mr. Mancía with a pistol, charges that Mr. Nethercott denied. The immigrants also said the group gave them cookies, water and a blanket and let them go after an hour or so. The immigrants said the ordeal, in which they feared that they would be killed by the men they thought were soldiers, had left them with post-traumatic stress.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I dont understand what you mean about acting like a federal informant?
susie
As for this case, it's not unusual that property is taken to satisfy a judgement - although it's rather stunning to hear that a personal dwelling can be taken, I thought that was not permitted. Maybe under Texas "law" it is. What's relevant is that Nethercott was exonerated in the associated criminal case. The personal injury trial took place without any proof that the supposed incident occurred the way the illegal aliens claimed it did.
And even more important is the fact that we continue to allow criminal trespassers to sue property owners for "injuries" relating to them being removed from the property they are trespassing on. Note that the two criminal aliens were never charged with what they were obviously guilty of, and have no explanation for - trespassing on private property, and of course, crossing into the United States illegally.
The ranch owner should have counter-sued them for damages and costs incurred trying to get them off his land. And Nethercott continues to be a fool, because he did not defend this case.
Can these guys even afford to pay the taxes on their ill gotten ranch?
"I dont understand what you mean about acting like a federal informant?"
He got Ranch Rescue into a ton of legal trouble. Almost like he was under orders to do just that.
"What's relevant is that Nethercott was exonerated in the associated criminal case."
OJ Simpson was "exonerated" in his criminal case.
Casey Nethercott was a fed informant. He did what he'd been set up to do--get Ranch Rescue into a ton of legal trouble--and that is that.
Not only were the illegal invaders not charged with their crime, they have been given visas and will probably be able to become citizens. Go figure. I can't. I'm in Oz or Wonderland, or the Twlight Zone....
susie
Wow... that didn't take long...
It can be difficult to judge, but that is the function of a "jury of your peers" - if you really believe in that phrase.
Typical expamples are people shooting at someone who is trying to break into a car. It has long been held that the use of deadly force in the protection of property is not justified. However, I do recall that at one time, a long and arguably better time ago, one could be sentenced to hang for theft of a horse. Nowadays car theft is routinely punished with a slap on the wrist-comparatively speaking.
I think it's funny that I could be sent to jail for failing to use judicious force when stopping a criminal while also being in danger of doing time for not helping at all. In other words, I must do what I can to help, but not too much.
See this thread for reference...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1466550/posts
Do you mean you think the Fed. Govt wanted him to do this?
susie
"I think it's funny that I could be sent to jail for failing to use judicious force when stopping a criminal while also being in danger of doing time for not helping at all. In other words, I must do what I can to help, but not too much."
Actually, the latter is not true.
And Nethercott's "use of force" was extremely INjudicious, as it eventually included pointing a firearm at a federal law enforcement officer.
Yes.
What they aren't taking over just by virtue of sheer numbers ( e.g. Los Angeles ) , we're handing to them on a silver platter . Our forefathers are all rolling in their graves . The Ruskies always said we would destroy ourselves from within ...Looks like they were right on ...
I figured he was some kind of deliberately placed "poison pill" to make the anti-illegal immigration movement look bad. Further evidence of this is that 70 sorry acres on the Arizona border does not a ranch make (at least not in Texas where I'm from). I mean, I saw a suggestion earlier that someone made that they should've poured salt on the ground before turning it over, but honestly, some of that ground is so sorry, it might not have made a difference. Yeah. I'd be interested to learn when/how Mr. Nethercutt first obtained the 70 acres (did Alberto Gonzalez' Justice Department help him buy it?)
Small wonder; the 'Arizona Repugnant' is the Gannetoid liberal paper that nobody reads any more. they are highly sympathetic to the illegals' cause.
Two weeks ago on a visit to Phoenix, I was hit head-on by an ancient Chevy truck driven by a bunch of day laborers "visiting" from a small town in Chihuahua. No license, no insurance. They get a stack of citations they will never pay and a free trip back to Mexico. I get to pay the repair bills. The "uninsured driver tax" is developing into a significant campaign issue for 2006.
Taxes in that part of AZ. can't be that much .
Why would they want him to do that?
susie
To sabatoge the civilian border security effort. To make it look bad.
False flag operation? My, my, our government's doing a lot of that these days. And we "sovereign citizens" can expect a lot more of such from a government that does little any more but take our money, property and rights for the benefit of invaders.
"Why would they want him to do that?"
Any number of reasons, including simply getting more people arrested for various and sundry criminal acts.
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