Bundy's ranch," he said.Įnvironmentalists and civil-rights groups said Monday that the Bundys are not heroes, but lawbreakers who for decades have grazed cattle on public land as if it were their own. "The (government) was working to take Mr. Moore said the case pits individual rights against big government.
"This was a decision for all of America." all of their friends who have ended up in prison," said Bob Moore, 65, of Gold Canyon. "I am really, really happy for the Bundy family and.
Navarro's ruling was praised by Bundy supporters, who have maintained vigils outside the court every day of the trial and have traveled from several states to show solidarity. READ MORE: What to know about the Bundy Ranch case
She said the prosecution's reliance on the FBI and failure to look beyond the documents the FBI provided represented an "intentional abdication of its responsibility."Įssentially, she said the prosecution decided not to follow up because the evidence would have worked in the defendants' favor. The judge also criticized the FBI for not providing evidence to prosecutors, saying it was not a coincidence that most of the withheld evidence came from the FBI. "We respect the court's ruling and will make a determination about the next appropriate steps," he said. Attorney Dayle Elieson issued a statement Monday. Attorney Stephen Myhre, who led the prosecution team, did not make any statements following the hearing. Instead, they showed "a reckless disregard for the constitutional obligation to seek and provide evidence," Navarro said.Īssistant U.S. She said prosecutors have a sworn duty to ensure defendants receive a fair trial by bringing forward any evidence that could affect the outcome. Attorney's Office for willful violations of due process, saying prosecutors not only withheld evidence but "made several misleading statements to the defendants and the court." She said ordering a new trial would not be sufficient to address violations by prosecutors and would actually give them an unfair advantage going forward. "The government conduct in this case was, indeed, outrageous." "The court finds that the universal sense of justice has been violated," Navarro said. She ordered the immediate release of Cliven Bundy, who had elected to remain in custody throughout the trial as a form of protest rather than accept a conditional release offered in November.
Navarro ended the case against Cliven, Ammon and Ryan Bundy and militia member Ryan Payne "with prejudice," meaning they cannot be retried on charges related to the 2014 armed standoff near Bundy's ranch in Bunkerville, Nevada. District Court Judge Gloria Navarro said federal prosecutors acted recklessly and engaged in a "deliberate attempt to mislead and distort the truth" by failing to turn over evidence that could have helped exonerate the four defendants. "I have been a political prisoner for more than 700 days." "I'm not used to being free," Bundy said as he emerged from an elevator into the court's lobby alongside his wife and attorney.
LAS VEGAS - Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy walked free from the federal courthouse Monday for the first time since his arrest two years ago on charges that he led an armed rebellion against the government in 2014.īundy, 71, was greeted by cheers from a crush of supporters who jammed a courtroom and greeted him outside with hugs, placards, cards, tears and cries of "liberty" and "freedom."Īn hour earlier, Bundy sat stoically in prison garb and shackles as a judge dismissed the case against him, two of his sons and a militia supporter, saying federal prosecutors violated the men's rights to a fair trial by withholding evidence.