The stand-off between the Bureau of Land Management and supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy near Bunkerville is shown April 12, 2014. The BLM eventually called off its roundup of Bundy cattle citing safety concerns.
Posted on 08/23/2017 8:37:07 AM PDT by Enlightened1
A federal jury in Las Vegas refused Tuesday to convict four defendants who were retried on accusations that they threatened and assaulted federal agents by wielding assault weapons in a 2014 confrontation to stop a cattle roundup near the Nevada ranch of states' rights figure Cliven Bundy.
In a stunning setback to federal prosecutors planning to try the Bundy family patriarch and two adult sons later this year, the jury acquitted Ricky Lovelien and Steven Stewart of all 10 charges, and delivered not-guilty findings on most charges against Scott Drexler and Eric Parker.
More than 30 defendants' supporters in the courtroom broke into applause after Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro ordered Lovelien and Stewart freed immediately and set Wednesday morning hearings to decide if Parker and Drexler should remain jailed pending a government decision whether to seek a third trial.
"Random people off the streets, these jurors, they told the government again that we're not going to put up with tyranny," said a John Lamb, a Montana resident who attended almost all the five weeks of trial, which began with jury selection July 10.
"They've been tried twice and found not guilty," Bundy family matriarch Carol Bundy said outside court. "We the people are not guilty."
A first trial earlier this year lasted two months and ended in April with a different jury finding two defendants — Gregory Burleson of Phoenix and Todd Engel of Idaho — guilty of some charges but failing to reach verdicts against Drexler, Parker, Lovelien and Stewart.
Prosecutors characterized the six as the least culpable of 19 co-defendants arrested in early 2016 and charged in the case, including Bundy family members. With the release of Lovelien and Stewart, 17 are still in federal custody.
(Excerpt) Read more at lasvegassun.com ...
The stand-off between the Bureau of Land Management and supporters of rancher Cliven Bundy near Bunkerville is shown April 12, 2014. The BLM eventually called off its roundup of Bundy cattle citing safety concerns.
BTTT
That is gonna leave a mark. The people spoke.
Refused to convict?!? WTF?! It is called acquittal, not guilty, innocent. But in liberal land it is failure to rubber stamp the pre-determined result.
Worth repeating...
"Random people off the streets, these jurors, they told the government again that we're not going to put up with tyranny,"
Big smile!!!
Because the jury could not come to agreement on some of the charges and were hung. Thus, not all verdicts were not guilty but no verdicts were guilty. I think that's why they phrased it that way.
They didn’t “refuse”. They didn’t believe the government, with good reason.
In this case the government stepped in it, and is still tracking it around to this day.
These heavy handed tactics for no apparent “real bonified” reason, need to stop.
The public has spoken.
Knock it off! FBI, this means you! Got it?
Nope, they didn’t...
the third time’s the charm
I think the government made a tactical mistake here. By pursuing these defendants and thereby taking the chance a jury would find many defendants innocent (and others at least not guilty) they have publicized what amounts to jury nullification to the jury pool they will need to use for cases that had higher chances of returning a guilty verdict.
If you are going to impose your will on uncooperative individuals you need to be smarter about it.
America has become such a crazy place that when The Establishment arbitrarily decides to steal all your land and animals the citizenry has a few questions about it.
My word, I’m so surprised.
It is almost getting to the point where you cannot with complete impunity burn down a huge Church known to contain almost 100 worshippers including 20 kids, just because they’re brand of Christianity slightly differs from the one Da Gummint had or pretended to have 60 years ago.
Their
If you would like more information about what's happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me.
Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list.
If Sessions has a shred of decency, which is an open question given his recent “interference” with these trials via his big mouth, he will call off the dogs and free everyone involved. Ditto for the two Oregon ranchers who are still in jail for setting controlled burns to protect their property and livestock. Perhaps Sessions needs a
“come to Jesus” meeting with Trump on this subject because he seems to be unable to function as a normal human being.
“...but in liberal land it is failure to rubber stamp the
pre-determined result...”
Maybe the liberal scu&bags are beginning to realize that their enforced subversion is being recognized for what it is.
IMHO
Bttt.
5.56mm
The Jury can legally do this is my understanding.
The pendulum is swinging the other way.
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