Posted on 01/31/2006 1:23:08 PM PST by Irontank
Two immigrants are now the legal owners of a Douglas-area ranch seized from an anti-immigrant activist. Documents granting the 70-acre ranch once owned by Casey Nethercott to Fatima del Socorro Leiva Medina and Edwin Alfredo Mancia Gonzales were signed by a Cochise County judge on Monday.
Nethercott is serving a five-year prison term in Texas stemming from a 2003 incident on a Texas ranch where he confronted Leiva and Mancia and was accused of pistol-whipping them. He was acquitted of assault but convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Nethercott was a member of the group Ranch Rescue, which works to protect private property along the southern U.S. border.
The Southern Poverty Law Center brought suit against Nethercott on behalf of the two immigrants. Nethercott did not respond and a Texas judge ordered him to pay $500,000.
Also named in the suit were Jack Foote, the founder of Ranch Rescue and the owners of the Texas ranch, Joe and Betty Sutton.
The Suttons settled for $100,000. Foote also didn't offer a defense and was ordered to pay $500,000. Leiva and Mancia were illegal immigrants from El Salvador. They received temporary legal status in the United States as crime victims and are seeking visas to stay longer.
They don't plan to hold on to the ranch, said Kelley Bruner, an attorney for the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Instead the property will be sold, with the proceeds going to the immigrants
Unfortunately not all of the illegals are from Mexico either- wonder how many illegal muslims are here via our southern border?
Good move on your part. The people who created this
outrage need to be outed and the sooner the better.
Actually, he did not beat them. He won the criminal case (in Texas) and was acquitted of assault against the illegals, but was found guilty at the same time of being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced to 5 years in prison.
It was while he was in prison that the SPLC filed a civil suit against him, which he failed to contest.
The judge who found against Nethercott did so in Texas.
The Arizona judge simply affirmed the Tesas Judge's order to transfer title of the property to the plaintiffs.
Even in prison, he could have answered the lawsuit with a general denial. Postage would have been free.
Banglist keyword added because of nature of article.
And then the State of Texas siezed the rest of his fixed assets.
Billy was also giving them grants he raided from Social Security
I am assuming the others were judgment-proof. The property owners did not "never respond", they settled. Presumably they settled because they had no way of proving they were innocent because the witness was in jail. I do not think you can spring a witness to testify in a civil matter, but I could be wrong.
Heck no. They don't want to live on land overrun by illegals.
Besides, they need to pay off the attorneys.
Absolutely agreed. Many posters are taking the AZ judge to task, although the egregious action occured in TX.
Actually, I just wanted the details, and how it may have related to the subject of this thread. I'll read your reply later, got too many deadlines and comittments at the moment.
No, I wasn't accusing you of being a bushbot (not sure what that is).
I am a Bush fan, but am getting sick and tired of the open borders (illegals, not legal immigration). Since Bush can't be reelected, I intend to let my elected officials know how I feel (I'm speaking financial contributions and my very loud voice). Besides, unless I am a dufuss or something, I understand CONGRESS passes/makes laws.
I agree with other freepers -- the southern border will be the pivotal event in the next elections, and should be.
Anyway, this case IS WRONG. This judge is WRONG.
If I rough up somebody tresspassing on my property, legal or ILLEGAL resident, can they take my land away and give it to the trespasser?
What is this -- Great Britain? GRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Well, then there must be more to this story.
I still can't fanthom rewarding an illegal alien, in the process of breaking the law and comitting that offense, for his crime.
The defendant defaulted. The judge had no discretion.
I can sue you for the craziest thing in the world, and if you don't respond, I am entitled to a default judgment. So don't blame the judge.
Okay, you're right.
But can I at least blame it on Bush? Poverty? The War on Drugs? American Imperialism ?:)
Wonder why the plaintiff didn't respond? Like I said, there must be MUCH more to this story. Of course, there usually is to every story.
Thanks for pointing this out to me.
Article clearly states Nethercutt was acquitted of the assault (pistol-whipping) charge. With that acquittal, there was no legal grounds for the civil suit...
the infowarrior
Reality, the SPLC will get the lion's share of the settlement, *and* the profits from the sale of Nethercutt's ranch. The two illegals, who aren't Mexican, but El Salvadorans, will in all likelihood *not* return to El Salvador, but remain here, more welfare state statistics...
the infowarrior
Read *all* the article. Nethercutt was *acquitted* of the criminal charge. This was the SPLC doing a "reverse OJ Simpson" move, using these Slavadoran illegals as cover. They couldn't "get" him on the criminal charge, so they waited until he was incarcerated on an unrelated charge, then filed their civil suit, simply to send a message to property owners throughout the Southwest that if you don't agree with the border situation as it stands, you *will* be silent in your disagreement...
the infowarrior
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