Militia takes over Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters TAKE 2

[HoneyBadger]

Is that one of Bundy's dead cattle?? WHY ARE YOU BEATING IT?!

[davsel]

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-sta...cart_big-photo

Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who touched off one armed showdown with federal authorities and applauded another started in Oregon by his sons, was arrested late Wednesday at Portland International Airport and faces federal charges related to the 2014 standoff at his ranch.

Bundy, 74, was booked into the downtown Multnomah County jail at 10:54 p.m.

He faces a conspiracy charge to interfere with a federal officer -- the same charge lodged against two of his sons, Ammon and Ryan, for their role in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns. He also faces weapons charges.

[Rumline]

Bundy is no hero of mine but WTF does "conspiracy to interfere with an officer" consist of? Two people talking about doing something that prevents a LEO from doing something?

[Martinjmpr]

Bundy is no hero of mine but WTF does "conspiracy to interfere with an officer" consist of? Two people talking about doing something that prevents a LEO from doing something?

The standoff from 2014. Did you think the feds had forgotten about that? Nope they were just biding their time.

[Rumline]

IANAL but that seemed like a lot more than just conspiracy though.

I was asking about in general...what is considered to be "conspiracy to interfere with an officer"?

[Martinjmpr]

IANAL but that seemed like a lot more than just conspiracy though.

I was asking about in general...what is considered to be "conspiracy to interfere with an officer"?

I would guess it's probably 18 USC section 372:

18 U.S. Code § 372

If two or more persons in any State, Territory, Possession, or District conspire to prevent, by force, intimidation, or threat, any person from accepting or holding any office, trust, or place of confidence under the United States, or from discharging any duties thereof, or to induce by like means any officer of the United States to leave the place, where his duties as an officer are required to be performed, or to injure him in his person or property on account of his lawful discharge of the duties of his office, or while engaged in the lawful discharge thereof, or to injure his property so as to molest, interrupt, hinder, or impede him in the discharge of his official duties, each of such persons shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six years, or both.

If you recall the BLM went to Bundy's ranch to seize the cattle that were illegally grazing there. Bundy and others then showed up, armed, and forced the feds to back off. That would seem to meet all of the requirements of the charge.

I would also guess that there will actually be a laundry list of other charges as well including:

18 USC Section 231, civil disorders,
18 U.S. Code § 930 - Possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in Federal facilities
18 U.S. Code § 1361 - Malicious Mischeif (Government property or contracts)
18 U.S. Code § 1503 - Influencing or injuring officer or juror generally

And that's what I could pull up just in a cursory search of 18 USC (the criminal portion of Federal statutes.) There's probably a long list of state charges they could face as well - intimidation of a public official, obstruction of justice, etc.

[hollohas]

Rumors coming out now that the FBI may be readying dozens of warrants for folks that were present at Bundy Ranch. Also, sounds like in addition to Cliven Bundy getting arrested, a few of the folks that have been with him since the ranch standoff (Blaine Cooper, and two other Bundy "body guards) were picked up by the FBI at separate locations Wednesday.

Might be getting ready to see a wide net cast...

[Rumline]

I guess I'm still hung up on the "conspire to" part of it. Wouldn't an example of that being Bundy and his son talking to each other about blocking BLM from seizing the cattle? Maybe that's the clearest-cut thing they could charge him with but it seems pretty small fry, relatively speaking.

[Martinjmpr]

I guess I'm still hung up on the "conspire to" part of it. Wouldn't an example of that being Bundy and his son talking to each other about blocking BLM from seizing the cattle? Maybe that's the clearest-cut thing they could charge him with but it seems pretty small fry, relatively speaking.

Bundy and a whole bunch of other people (hundreds, IIRC) showed up with a common purpose of preventing the BLM officials from executing their warrants to seize cattle and remove them from Bundy's illegal operation.

A conspiracy requires two elements, an agreement between two or more people to commit a criminal act, and at least one overt act in furtherance of that agreement.

The "agreement" part can be shown by actions, it need not be shown by words (though there are plenty of both, as evidenced by the various video of the Nevada incident and public statements made by Bundy and others that they intended to resist the authority of the BLM. That right there is sufficient to provide all the elements needed to convict him of that charge. And as I posted earlier, there are sure to be lots of other charges as well.

[hollohas]

I was not aware of the particular law before it was posted here, but it's stupid.

The papers have been filed. I'll post the link in a second, but here's one of the charges. Charging him for "obsturcting commerce" for taking his cattle back is bogus. How can an impounded property be considered an interchange of goods for trade? Nothing about that was "commerce".