Bundys have been aquitted in Oregon.

[Odin]

You can bet the defense attorney will use what happened in ND in their defense.

 

[quarterhorse]

It is my opinion that the jury did not make their decision based on whether or not the accused was guilty of the charges brought against them. Instead they based it whether or not they agreed with their "cause".

 

[Flatland Crusoe]

I think most frustrating thing that came from all of this is that my left leaning friends only took away from Malhuer Occupation "white guys can't be terrorist" not that public lands are under attack.

I really thought when this whole thing happened it was going to bury the larger cause of land transfer, but it seems to have done little.

 

[.280 Remington]

Wow, I'd bet money this is the result of either an extremely good defense team, or an extremely bad prosecution team...

One of the Bundy boys didn't even have a lawyer...

 

[MooseCaboose]

Jury Nullification

 

[katqanna]

In Montana, reactions to Oregon standoff acquittals range from glee to disgust

Rep. Theresa Manzella, R-Darby, responded to the news with a Facebook post that read: “BEST NEWS IN A LONG TIME!!! Doin’ a happy dance! Didn’t expect the verdict today!!! Hurray!”
In an interview, Manzella said Friday that she felt the decision was a “victory for the citizens of America and, in particular, rural America.”

The decision affirmed the rights of citizens to judge a case based on its merits, she said.

“If they deem that a law or a situation is unjust, they can nullify the law through a verdict,” she said. “I believe it represents a glimmer of hope. There are a lot of people extremely concerned with federal overreach.

“I think this will become a wind beneath the wings of people who have felt somewhat helpless,” Manzella said. “I think it will be very empowering. It indicates that American citizens are waking up and we don’t want to be kept under the thumb of the federal government.”

Manzella said she supported the original protest.

“From everything I could see, they were true to their word,” she said. “They were there in support of freedom, not force. They did everything they could to make it a peaceful protest…evidently, the jury agreed with that according to their decision.”

 

[tjones]

Manzella doesn't represent Montana or the Bitterroot. She is a tea party extremist. The last of her kind. Proven by her comments.

 

[u1299]

they all should have stayed in jail until they died of old age, worthless scum each and every one.

 

[katqanna]

I just listened to an audio interview with Ryan Hass, News Content Manager at Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Tung Yin, professor of law at Lewis & Clark Law School about this Malheur case.

Tung Yin, who was there, spoke about how stunned everyone was, even with the defendants pleading guilty, especially on Count 2, the possession of firearms charge, where there was ample evidence. They spoke about Jury Nullification, he gave examples of abused women killing husbands, where no laws were on the books to protect those women and juries would find them not guilty.

He postulated about something under the surface, in a similar vein to how could all the political pundits get it so wrong about Donald Trump being nominated and you are seeing the same angry, anti-government views espoused.

It was an interesting perspective from two men who were there for the trials.

Article and audio link

 

[Irrelevant]

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/crime/malheur-case-prosecutors-just-failed-says-juror-no-4/

Sounds like the prosecution definitely f-ed up. At least they should learn a bit from it for Nevada.

 

[TheJason]

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-standoff/2016/10/juror_4_prosecutors_in_oregon.html

 

[James Riley]

This will more than likely cause the opposite effect. In order for further self protection, Federal Lands will made off limits in order to make trespassing claims easier to prosecute.

This ^^^^.

There is always an over-correction in the opposite direction. Some freak shoots up a federal facility and now everyone is barred from open and concealed carry. It's stupid. Now the feds will double down on security and point to this as the reason why. And we will all suffer.

So now we must ask: Is it simply a Chicken Little response by stupid bureaucrats? Or (put on your tin foil hat with me), is it intentional on the part of the feds; "Let's lose this case on purpose and use the Bundy's as an excuse to tighten the noose on everyone."

Just like 9/11 was a godsend to the security state, so too all these things add up in their favor.

Justice for the people would be competent prosecutors, and proper jury instructions. That way, nullification can be laid at the proper feet and better forum shopping would ensue.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

My eldest son, who studies political thought (bet most of you didn't think politicians could think) and history told me - when I expressed outrage over this verdict - that the Feds probably threw the case because they don't want to fan the flames of the Bundy supporters. When I countered that a "not guilty" verdict would do just that, he spun a tremendous concoction of how they'll be less likely to incite armed violence now, yada yada yada. My head is still spinning from it.

I think I'm going to pull my financial support of his college education.

This situation is FUBAR all around. You can't not punish someone because of how upset others of a like mind might be because their buddies were punished for doing something illegal and dangerous. This smacks of jury nullification for sure. People are pissed at the Feds and tired of being over managed. Nevada better get their act together and send those clowns away for a LONG time.