BUNKERVILLE STANDOFF:  DECISION DAY FOR JUDGE NAVARRO, PROSECUTORS CLAIM NEED FOR 'FAIR TRIAL'

After deciding to delay the third Bunkerville Standoff trial and admitting that much discovery evidence was withheld from defense lawyers and suggesting a mistrial was possible, US District Judge Gloria M. Navarro is expected to make her decision about where the trial and perhaps the case goes next in the coming hours.

The prosecution and defense have given Judge Navarro their opinions in sealed arguments withheld from the public about what should happen next.   The defense hoping that the charges against the four defendants in the third trial (Cliven Bundy, Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy and Ryan Payne) are dismissed with prejudice.

But Judge Navarro has plenty of other options including a mistrial leading to a retrial of the defendants or continuing the trial with modified conditions.

Late Monday, the prosecutors in the case led by Acting US Attorney Steven Myhre filed a motion calling on the judge to do what she did in the first two trials.   Myhre wants to limit the defense from arguing the defendants acted in self-defense or were entrapped by the federal government in the April 12, 2014 standoff near Bundy Ranch in northern Clark County, Nevada.

The prosecution is claiming that the government needs to have a "fair trial" just like the defendants do.

Myhre is calling on defense lawyers to be given a chance to respond to his motion by January 1st.

One of the defense lawyers, federal public defender Brenda Weksler, says the government is "stalling or sandbagging" the case with its motion.   Weksler is on the attorneys for defendant Ryan Payne.

Events are expected to unfold in the hours ahead.

A post is coming later.

But events may break before the post.

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