The judge in the case against Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, his sons, and their friend Ryan Payne, declared a mistrial on the 20th. The reason is stunning. Prosecutors willfully held back evidence of the government agents acting illegally in 2014 during a standoff on the Bundy ranch which drew the attention of militia from around the country. The amount of exculpatory evidence withheld was no less than astounding.
Nevada, after several failed prosecutions, has asked for a retrial, claiming evidence violations were “inadvertent” or they didn’t know they had to turn it over.
“The Brady violations found by the court are regrettable and benefit no one,” Nevada’s Acting U.S. Attorney Steven Myhre wrote in a 55-page legal brief. “But because the government neither flagrantly violated nor recklessly disregarded its obligations, the appropriate remedy for such violations is a new trial,” Oregonian Live reported.
The government keeps retrying him but all they’ve proven is they are out to get him.
The Bundys’ case ended in a mistrial Dec. 20 after Judge Gloria Navarro ruled that prosecutors violated the civil rights of the defendants by withholding evidence supporting the Bundys’ case.
“There were approximately 3,000 pages that were provided to us only after we started trial,” Bundy lawyer Bret D. Whipple told TheNYT. “I personally have never seen anything like this, especially in a case of such importance.”
Those 3,000 pages include the Bundys’ requests for multiple federal assessments that showed the Bundy family was likely not dangerous. Prosecutors called the requests part of a “long list of frivolous and vexatious pleadings,” until a government witness, under cross examination, revealed knowledge of the assessments in court, The Oregonian reports.
Bureau of Land Management agent Dan Love directed the armed raid of the Bundy ranch to seize his cattle. It is not clear why the BLM needs assault rifles at all but they use of force was uncalled for. Love was fired from the agency in September for corruption and unethical behavior.
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Prosecutors said allegations against Love were an “urban legend” but hundreds of pages showed that was a lie.
The Bundys’ lawyers made two requests to Navarro for a special “discovery monitor” to ensure that all relevant documents were being turned over by the prosecution. Both requests were denied.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions, however, launched an investigation into prosecutorial misconduct after the mistrial.
The Intercept goes into some detail from start to finish.
The police also murdered LaVoy Finicum according to Ammon Bundy, who said Mr. Finicum’s hands were up when they shot him dead.
Ammon Bundy gives his side of the story from the onset in this video.
Once AGAIN Cliven Bundy is RIGHT. Federal Court Rules that grazing and water rights are personal property. Against government for stealing ranchers property. #BundyTrial https://t.co/HT5V9ruBYM pic.twitter.com/t6aeQh4Hmo
— Cliven Bundy (@BundyStrong) December 31, 2017
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