Judge denies 11th-hour bid to dismiss charges against Nevada rancher Bundy
Source: Reuters
NOVEMBER 13, 2017 / 9:25 PM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO
John L. Smith
LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - A federal judge on Monday rejected an 11th-hour bid by Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy to dismiss criminal charges he faced for a 2014 armed standoff against federal agents, finding no basis for defense claims that prosecutors concealed evidence.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro paved the way for the trial of Bundy, 71, and his three co-defendants, including sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, to proceed with opening statements on Tuesday in a trial expected to last through February.
All four men are accused of conspiring to use the threat of force to prevent a court-ordered impoundment of Cliven Bundy’s cattle, which the government said had trespassed on federal land after the rancher refused for 20 years to pay his grazing fees and assessments.
The dispute marked a flashpoint in long-simmering tensions over federal control of public lands in the West and a rallying cry for militia groups challenging U.S. government authority in the American West.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-nevada-militia/judge-denies-11th-hour-bid-to-dismiss-charges-against-nevada-rancher-bundy-idUSKBN1DE09W?rpc=401&
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