Vigilante forced to give ranch to illegals -(insane out of control border ruling come true)

Arizona Daily Sun ^ | 8/20/2005 | BETH DeFALCO

[StudentsForBush]

PHOENIX -- An Arizona ranch that once served as the headquarters for a civilian group watching for illegal immigrants has been turned over to two people caught trying to enter the United States illegally.

The ranch was conveyed to satisfy a judgment against its owner, Casey Nethercott, a member of a self-styled border-watch group that seeks to protect private property from illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico. Nethercott had been accused of terrorizing the immigrants when he and others caught them in Texas.

Morris Dees Jr., co-founder and chief trial counsel of the Southern Poverty Law Center, which

represented the immigrants, said he hoped the ruling would serve as a cautionary tale to landowners or civilian patrols.

"When we got into this case, ranchers all along the border were allowing these types to come on their property," Dees said. "Now, they're very leery of it, especially when they see someone losing their ranch because of it."

The ruling comes as the governors of Arizona and New Mexico declare states of emergency in their border counties, moves designed to free up money for enforcement while drawing more national attention to the problems of illegal immigration.

The transfer of the Douglas ranch outraged border-watch groups.
** FILE ** Casey Nethercott waits in a courtroom in Hebbronnville, Texas, for his trial to start, June 8, 2004. An Arizona ranch that once served as the headquarters for a civilian group watching for illegal immigrants has been turned over to two people caught trying to enter the United States illegally. The ranch was conveyed to satisfy a judgment against its owner, Casey Nethercott, a member of a self-styled border-watch group that seeks to protect private property from illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico. Nethercott had been accused of terrorizing the immigrants when he and others caught them in Texas. (AP Photo/The Monitor, German Garcia,

"If the federal government was doing its job, ranchers would not be living in fear," said Chris Simcox, president of Minuteman Civil Defense Corp., a group that watches for illegal immigrant crossings and reports them to the U.S. Border Patrol.

"They can't even protect their own property for fear of these frivolous lawsuits when people are trespassing on property," he said.

Ranchers "are held captive by the federal government who tells them, 'Well, we can't protect you but you can't do anything to protect yourself."'

Simcox disputed the notion, however, that the ruling would deter other landowners from welcoming civilian watch groups. He noted that the Minutemen have a policy against touching the migrants and use video to document their patrols.

Nethercott was part of another group called Ranch Rescue and had founded a group called the Arizona Militia, which he based at his 70-acre ranch in Douglas.

In March 2003, Nethercott, who had previously been convicted of assault in California, was accused of pistol-whipping an illegal immigrant as he and other people from Ranch Rescue patrolled a ranch in Hebbronville, Texas. A jury deadlocked on the charge but convicted him of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Edwin Alfredo Mancía Gonzáles, the man who accused Nethercott of hitting him, and another immigrant traveling with him from El Salvador, Fátima del Socorro Leiva Medina, filed a civil lawsuit last year saying they were harmed while being held by Ranch Rescue members.

Named in the suit were Nethercott; Jack Foote, the founder of Ranch Rescue; and the owners of the Hebbronville ranch, Joe and Betty Sutton.

The Suttons settled for $100,000, Dees said. Nethercott and Foote did not defend themselves, he said.

So in April of this year, a Texas judge issued default judgments of $850,000 against Nethercott and $500,000 against Foote.

Nethercott, serving a five-year prison term for the firearm conviction, transferred ownership of his Douglas ranch to his sister. But the sister gave up ownership of the ranch to settle the judgment when challenged by the immigrants' lawyers.

A message left for Nethercott's family in Prescott and his attorney in Texas were not immediately returned Friday.

Dees said his clients plan to eventually sell the property, which Nethercott bought for $120,000, but would allow humanitarian border groups offering aid to immigrants to use it for now.

Mancía and Leiva declined through Dees to speak to the media.

"They were terrorized. They suffered enormous post-traumatic stress," the attorney said.

Both immigrants remain in the United States and have applied for special visas available to some immigrants who are crime victims.

[Prime Choice]

You're quite right. The Garvgraphx image was used by kind permission (they were really cool about allowing its use)...and it was the tamest one I could find to go with the blog comments I'd stumbled across back in '02.

Glad ya like SCB! :o)

[Euro-American Scum]

MEXICAN BORDER JUMPERS DON'T ELECT AMERICAN POLITICIANS, AMERICANS DO!!

Not anymore they don't. Not since George W. Bush became a whore for the Latino vote.

[Abathar]

I was talking to a guy at work about this today, and he said Fox had a segment on this story. I guess the 2 guys were beaten severely, they went to the hospital with extensive injuries. He also told me that the owner of the ranch didn't even show up at the hearing, the ranch was the only thing the judge could get ahold of. This is all second hand, but their seems to be more to it than what I had first heard.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Morris Dees again, may he roast in hell.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

This illegal immigration issue is overriding any respect I once had for Bush, he is looking downright creepy.

[Stellar Dendrite]

At the criminal trial, the defendant was not convicted of this alleged assault.

[Stellar Dendrite]

Even if he did assault them, he was defending his own property.

[I see my hands]

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Careful! I may invoke my elevated status as an AZ resident to trump any idea on this topic should it be my pleasure.

I'm entitled.. just like Cinds ;)

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[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Resist away, but FYI, the truth is being discussed on this thread, again.

[Stellar Dendrite]

COJEXERJ15 is a part of the OBL sock puppet brigade, friends of jveritas and bayourod. look at his idiotic tagline, that tells you everything you need to know

[Dante3]

At the moment I don't have words for this outrage.

[Dante3]

If there ever was a case for taking arms against illegal immigrants and demanding the removal of a demented traitor of a judge who has set himself up as a dictator, this sure is it.

[navyblue]

"Bush is an abject failure when it comes to protecting our borders."

Depends on what you think his objective is, doesn't it? W likes his idea of his "American Union" from Antactica to the Arctic.

I want to see a politician who puts American sovereignty first! From what I see, I may wait quit a while.

[Cautor]

You are absolutely right in your description of Dees. He's been a two-faced race huckster throughout his adult life. I hadn't heard much of him lately, but looks like he crawled out from under a rock.

[The Duke]

Another case of the inmates being given control of the asylum.

[MarkeyD]

BFD. Had it not been posted now some of us would have never seen it.

[Wormwood]

If there ever was a case for taking arms against illegal immigrants and demanding the removal of a demented traitor of a judge who has set himself up as a dictator, this sure is it.

And yet here we sit, impotently typing at our keyboards as our pitchforks and firearms rust with disuse.

We are toothless and gelded, and deserve the treatment we receive at the hands of the ruling class.

[navyblue]

quit = quite

[StudentsForBush]

OK ! When I first read this (and posted it right after) I understood this article to be about the insane radical left judge who gave this ruling, I did not read this (as many of you did) to blame Bush, I still think Arizona can handle it and we ought to add more power to the State and take any power we can from the Federal Government.  But its funny how the same article can be read in so many ways. Bottom line, its only going to get worst, so instead of being angry, what is the solution ?

As far as the 2nd amendment goes....this is my view on it:

Gun Control ? Control This.

(this is a .22 S & W pistol, not a 45 as many think when they first see it by the way)