The trial of Ammon Bundy and his co-defendants in the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge begins Wednesday with jury selection and opening statements are scheduled for September 13.
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A sign is placed on a closed road to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore., on January 29, during the armed occupation of the refuge. Jury selection is set to begin Wednesday.
The seven defendants are charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers and possession of firearms in a federal facility in connection with the 41-day occupation of Malheur.
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“If you’re the police, then where are your badges?” a character asked. We ain’t got no badges.
“This is something that we’ve been pushing for, for a long time”, said Tom Coan, Pete Santilli’s defense attorney. “But that’s the thing, they do”. The elder Bundy brother has drawn attention for his attempts to subpoena Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and other government officials to testify in the case, seeking $800,000 in damages for his arrest, and claiming to be a member of the “sovereign Bundy family”, thereby making him immune to federal law.
So far, we’ve already seen Ryan Bundy, one of the leaders of the protest, sarcastically declare himself an “idiot” in a court filing.
The protest was sparked in part by the return to prison of two OR ranchers convicted of setting fires that spread to federal property in the vicinity of the refuge. He also requested he be paid $1 million for playing the role of the defendant in the trial.
The Bureau of Land Management ultimately backed off, alarmed at the prospect of violence.
Santilli is expected to be moved to a Nevada lock-up, where he’ll await a February 2017 trial date for his alleged role in the armed resistance against federal troops during the 2014 standoff outside Cliven Bundy’s ranch.
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This report contains material from the Associated Press.
