A federal judge just declared a mistrial in the criminal trial of Cliven Bundy and his sons. Do you remember Bundy? He's the rancher who got outsiders to come and stand with him and his family in a confrontation with federal marshals who were trying to gather up Bundy's cattle to pay for disputed grazing fees on federal land. Bundy's family had grazed cattle on the land for generations, but the federal government ignored that and imposed ruinous grazing fees despite rules that required grandfathering in those who had previously used the land. There was a nationally televised stand off with armed federal marshals confronting armed ranchers. No one was hurt, but Bundy, his sons and some of those who helped them were arrested. It was the criminal trial coming from that standoff that was just declared a mistrial.
The standoff was a move by the Obama administration to impose its will on the ranchers who were portrayed in the media as some sort of loony right wing fanatics. The Bundy's claimed that their ranch was surrounded by government snipers and that they were under surveillance, charges that the Obama administration laughed at as preposterous. Well guess what? The judge declared the mistrial because the government had concealed certain evidence in its possession that had been requested by the defense. That concealed evidence was records showing that there had been government snipers surrounding the Bundy ranch as well as video surveillance of the ranch 24 hours per day prior to the start of the confrontation. There was also other evidence that the government failed to turn over.
There has been no final decision on whether or not there can be a re-trial, although it would seem from the misconduct by the government here that Bundy will be off the hook permanently.
It never fails to amaze me how the Obamacrats viewed an ordinary rancher like Bundy as an enemy of the people. I guess the same people who set the IRS on conservatives saw an individualist like Bundy as just another enemy. Thank God those people are no longer in power.
The standoff was a move by the Obama administration to impose its will on the ranchers who were portrayed in the media as some sort of loony right wing fanatics. The Bundy's claimed that their ranch was surrounded by government snipers and that they were under surveillance, charges that the Obama administration laughed at as preposterous. Well guess what? The judge declared the mistrial because the government had concealed certain evidence in its possession that had been requested by the defense. That concealed evidence was records showing that there had been government snipers surrounding the Bundy ranch as well as video surveillance of the ranch 24 hours per day prior to the start of the confrontation. There was also other evidence that the government failed to turn over.
There has been no final decision on whether or not there can be a re-trial, although it would seem from the misconduct by the government here that Bundy will be off the hook permanently.
It never fails to amaze me how the Obamacrats viewed an ordinary rancher like Bundy as an enemy of the people. I guess the same people who set the IRS on conservatives saw an individualist like Bundy as just another enemy. Thank God those people are no longer in power.
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