2 Illegal Immigrants Win Arizona Ranch in Court

The New York Times ^ | 8/19/2005 | Andrew Pollack

[jdoug6]

Illegal Immigrants Win Arizona Ranch in Court By ANDREW POLLACK 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."

[flaglady47]

This is, of course, a sacrilege. The courts and liberal judges have got to go. We must get them out of office and replaced by sane ones.

[kingu]

If I trespassed on that land in Texas and got pistol whipped for it, I would have been told to be thankful I wasn't shot. But since an illegal does it, they get another ranch in another state.

Any bets as to what would happen if I went and tried this in Mexico?

Our 'justice' system seems to be forgetting the first word.

[Rodney King]

This case is an outrage, and the blame rest squarely on W for doing nothing to protect the border.

[Tired of Taxes]

Thanks for posting because this is the first time I'm seeing this story...

But it looks like it was already posted three other times.

Here are the other threads I found:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1466446/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1466707/posts

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1466891/posts

Anyone can read the whole article here, too:

http://www.citizenreviewonline.org/aug_2005/20/immigrants.htm

The oddest line was about them allegedly "pistol whipping" the two illegals, but they also gave them cookies, water and a blanket and let them go...?

Mr. Nethercott is now serving 5 years on gun possession because he was a felon. Of course, the jury deadlocked on the pistol whipping charge.

[kingu]

This case is an outrage, and the blame rest squarely on W for doing nothing to protect the border.

I agree that more needs to be done to secure the borders (a hell of a lot more) but the blame isn't all at W's doorstep. Two fellas went and committed a crime entering the United States illegally. They were in the commission of that crime when these supposed events took place. Really goes to show how we need to reform the system so that criminals aren't rewarded for incidental events that take place during the commission of a crime.

So in order of decreasing responsibility you have.. Two illegals, out of control legal system, busybody legal 'aid' groups, (possibly) idiot wackos going out of control, W for not securing the border. Pretty far down the list, all things considered.

[HisKingdomWillAbolishSinDeath]

Good old Morris, the South's version of the ACLU.

[XR7]

Un-fricken'-believable!!!

[newzjunkey]

BTTT

[azhenfud]

I would like to see as many FReepers who will to file complaints with ICE against the two KNOWN illegals to have them removed from the US immediately.

Yet, with the resentment increasing towards illegals and their free rides over Americans, I'd have doubts they'll enjoy their "ranch" very long.

[upchuck]

Tools.

[GOP_Proud]

My brother told me about this. He listens to Savage and says Savage has been going ballistic about this for a week.

[johnmecainrino]

This was on private property and remember that a lot of the private property owners didn't even want the minutemen patrolling their land, so there is really nothing that could have been done about this, the private property owners won't let you build a wall or patrol the border.

[johnmecainrino]

We need to get the private property owners on board and let them allow the minutemen to patrol on them. Down in texas a huge ranch as big as some states denied the minutemen access. The private property owners have every right because it is their land but every resource and asset has to be used against this invasion.

[Carolinamom]

Since the new property owners are ILLEGALS, can they be deported?

[StonyBurk]

Clearly with the help of our wayward Courts-and our self serving Congress we have devolved to a place reflective of
the very third world despotic oligarchys we once disdained.
Once we removed petty dictators ,and spread American style
democracy around the world--now we see our government rushing to placate the dictators and disdain the Christian
religion our founding fathers rested our system of government upon. It is as if Castro won the war of attrition knowing our government would never commit to
the necessary act of bouncing hte dictator. And this but the latest indication of how far we have slid toward the abyss.

[gaspar]

Who was the judge? Details, please.

[TomGuy]

How Lawyers Took Ranch For Illegal Aliens [legal brief in pdf format]

[Puppage]

and says Savage has been going ballistic about this for a week

So should we all

[Unicorn]

BTTT