BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF CASE:  NEW JURY QUESTIONS PROPOSED AMID DELAY IN THIRD TRIAL, PLEA DEAL FOR BRIAN CAVALIER TURNS OUT FALSE

(UPDATED NEWS REGARDING REPORTED PLEA DEAL FOR BRIAN CAVALIER-OCTOBER 13TH)

Defendants Ammon Bundy and Ryan Payne have proposed new questions for potential jurors in the now delayed third Bunkerville Standoff trial.

There are eight new questions from Payne and 29 from Bundy.

One example from Payne:

"Since the time you filled out the lengthy questionaire for this case, a tragedy has occurred on October 1, 2017 at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas.  Do you know anyone who was killed or harmed in the mass shooting?

Yes  No   If Yes please explain:"

Ammon Bundy proposed new questions that included:

"Considering recent events in Las Vegas do you believe America has a gun culture problem?
Yes or No"

"Are citizen militias part of the problem?  Yes or No"

"Will the recent events in Las Vegas make it more difficult for you to sit as a juror in a case that deals heavily with firearms and the Second Amendment?  Yes or No"

At the hearing where she decided to "continue" (delay) the case from going to trial last week, US District Judge Gloria Navarro noted potential jury pool problems including some potential jurors not being available for a later trial date.

Navarro noted that additional requests had come in to be excused from jury duty and suggested the carnage in Las Vegas may have impacted some of the potential jurors.

A change of plea hearing was scheduled Friday October 13th at 11:30am for Brian Cavalier who was said to have reached a plea agreement with the federal government in a court document posted online Thursday.

But word came out Friday that the information was entered in error and so there is no plea deal for Cavalier.  Recent word was that the federal government was taking a hard line in plea deal negotiations following the Las Vegas shooting.

Cavalier is in a third tier of defendants whose trial will not be held until next year and who still remain in jail without bail.  They've been treated that way for 20 months.

Another man accused in connection with the Bunkerville Standoff who pled guilty back in August, Blaine Cooper, has asked to be released pending sentencing.    The federal government is not opposing his request.