THE KANGAROO COURT OF SOUTHERN NEVADA
As Judge Gloria Navarro continues to run roughshod over a rigged trial for the first six men acccused in the April 2014 2014 standoff near Bundy Ranch, we are reminded of the Oregon Standoff trial last fall and the spirited defense of Marcus Mumford.
A defense that convinced a jury to acquit all seven defendants with federal marshals tackling, tasing and arresting Mumford in the courtroom right after the verdicts were announced.
This led the judge in that case, Anna J. Brown, to meet with jurors and find out why they acquitted.
The way she and the federal prosecutors ran the second trial, tacking on misdemeanor charges, rejecting numerous defense witnesses, the judge making herself the jury on the misdemeanor charges all pointed us in the direction the first Bunkerville Standoff trial would take in Nevada.
Its been quite a show with defense lawyers being constantly told to shut up and defendant Todd Engel now being told he cannot defend himself in the case. Instead a standby lawyer who's fallen asleep in court and doesn't know the case is supposed to defend him.
On Wednesday, word came out that defendant Gregory Burleson was an FBI informant. His defense lawyer's Thursday questioning of an FBI agent focused on how Burleson was plied with alcohol before an interview. Terrence Jackson asked if Burleson was being 'fed drinks' with the FBI reply being 'we offered'.
Jackson also brought up Burleson's diabetic condition with the FBI saying they were aware of it. Much attention was focused on Burleson's health a few weeks back when he required medical treatment for apparent dehydration in the courtroom. He's reportedly going blind.
The defense lawyers for the other defendants are deeply troubled by the revelation that Burleson was an FBI informant and are making agruments to the judge to no avail. Burleson was in on the defense strategy of the other defendants along with his lawyer.
As activist Gavin Seim noted in a video post the other day, this seems to beg for a mistrial but no such move is coming from Judge Gloria Navarro.
One other interesting development is that the lead prosecutor at this trial, Steven Myhre is now the Acting U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas. The U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Obama resigned at the request of the new Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
This reminds us all of the need for the Trump Administration to act in the interests of justice in both the Oregon and Nevada standoff cases.
For starters, how about freedom for the ranchers jailed as terrorists for setting some grass on fire in Oregon-Dwight and Steven Hammond. The reason Ammon Bundy led a peaceful protest in Oregon marred by government violence that took the life of LaVoy Finicum, who sought freedom for the Hammonds.
Its been quite a show with defense lawyers being constantly told to shut up and defendant Todd Engel now being told he cannot defend himself in the case. Instead a standby lawyer who's fallen asleep in court and doesn't know the case is supposed to defend him.
On Wednesday, word came out that defendant Gregory Burleson was an FBI informant. His defense lawyer's Thursday questioning of an FBI agent focused on how Burleson was plied with alcohol before an interview. Terrence Jackson asked if Burleson was being 'fed drinks' with the FBI reply being 'we offered'.
Jackson also brought up Burleson's diabetic condition with the FBI saying they were aware of it. Much attention was focused on Burleson's health a few weeks back when he required medical treatment for apparent dehydration in the courtroom. He's reportedly going blind.
The defense lawyers for the other defendants are deeply troubled by the revelation that Burleson was an FBI informant and are making agruments to the judge to no avail. Burleson was in on the defense strategy of the other defendants along with his lawyer.
As activist Gavin Seim noted in a video post the other day, this seems to beg for a mistrial but no such move is coming from Judge Gloria Navarro.
One other interesting development is that the lead prosecutor at this trial, Steven Myhre is now the Acting U.S. Attorney in Las Vegas. The U.S. Attorney appointed by former President Obama resigned at the request of the new Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
This reminds us all of the need for the Trump Administration to act in the interests of justice in both the Oregon and Nevada standoff cases.
For starters, how about freedom for the ranchers jailed as terrorists for setting some grass on fire in Oregon-Dwight and Steven Hammond. The reason Ammon Bundy led a peaceful protest in Oregon marred by government violence that took the life of LaVoy Finicum, who sought freedom for the Hammonds.
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