BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF: TRIAL TUESDAY SESSION, ARGUMENTS OVER THREAT ASSESSMENT, RYAN BUNDY USES CONSTITUTION IN CROSS EXAMINATION

The Tuesday trial session involved continued arguments about the "threat assessment" followed by cross-examination of government lawyer Terry Petrie.

The jury was out of the courtroom for the arguments, but then was brought in for the witness.

The defense is being allowed to use entrapment as an argument in the case.   Many documents have been released for this trial including some that are redacted and not allowed to be read out loud in court.

It brings into question the validity of the previous trials where the federal government only succeeded in convicting two of the six defendants while two were acquitted and two entered into misdemeanor plea deals.

In those trials, Judge Navarro limited defense arguments and the defense did not have access to the information they have access to in this trial.

During the morning arguments, the defense said the flow of documents from the government is still coming and it is still incomplete.

Cliven Bundy's attorney Bret Whipple said in court that for the first time he is actually seeing a copy of the FBI threat assessment, but the document does have a date on it.

The lead prosecutor, Acting US Attorney Steven Myhre, protests that the information does not help the defense and really does not need to be released.

When lawyer Terry Petrie was under cross examination, Ryan Bundy held the courtroom in rapt attention.    The jury, judge and spectators listened intently while Bundy used the Constitution of the United States in his questioning.   The prosecution was lock jawed because if they had objected to his argument, they would have been objecting to the Constitution.  At one point, Petrie complemented Ryan Bundy on his knowledge of the Constitution.

Trial observer John Lamb said that one of Ammon Bundy's defense attorneys, Dan Hill, is revising the witness list.

Lamb speculates that one of the prosecutors may be called to the stand.   Assistant US Attorney Nadia Ahmed has come under scrutiny in her role as a Department of Justice attorney involved in the civil litigation against Cliven Bundy with Mr. Petrie and for her presence  during the protests leading up to the April 12, 2014 standoff.

There will be a Wednesday session in the trial (November 22nd).

(UPDATED LATE TUESDAY, EARLY WEDNESDAY)