Patricia Aiken
Before the re-trial commenced on July 10, Myhre submitted his motion in limine which is a pretrial motion to eliminate certain evidence from being used during trial. The certain evidence in this case was, in fact, all the evidence. The defense is not allowed to mention any of the actions of the BLM or other alphabet agencies leading up to that Saturday April 12 in Bunkerville, NV. Not the tasing of Ammon Bundy 3 times, not the shooting of the Bundy cattle, not the orange fenced First Amendment Area, not the picking up of Margaret Houston from behind and throwing her to the ground, not the dogs being sicced on a pregant woman, not the snipers on the hills, not the kidnapping of Dave Bundy, not the statement from Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval condemning these actions, not how militarized the agents were and certainly not how they felt about it all. Nothing, nada, zilch.
Bundy Ranch supporters now call Navarro Diablo and have erected a huge IMPEACH NAVARRO banner in front of Federal District Court. As the Las Vegas Review Journal wrote following the rubber-stamping of this outrageous motion, "Government prosecutors have a friend in U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro." Diablo next stacked the jury for the government by reversing five of the Defenses' jury strikes, placing even an ex-cop back on the jury.
But those were just opening acts. The trial began with Myhre giving an hour long tirade claiming to know the defendants' state of mind years before coming to Bunkerville. He outrageously alleges they came "to shoot officers" and "bent the will" of these officers so they would leave. Governor Sandoval obviously didn't agree since his office took credit for ending the Stand Off peacefully. He goes on to allege that protesters bring signs to a protest and since these men brought guns they weren't protesting but engaging in crime.
Unlike the lengthier parade of lying government employees at the first trial which the first jurors complained about, this trial has a laser focus and has been highly scripted. Only government employees have been on the witness stand well coached and nearly robotic in their testimony. Returning witnesses ratcheted up their testimony and reportedly received large promotions. A Nevada Highway Patrol officer who testified in the first trial got on the stand and claimed that he came to Bunkerville because of a report he got "that officers were being held at gunpoint." He was discredited rather quickly since he didn't mention that the first time around and never put it in his report of the event.
BLM agent Alexandra Burke perjured herself heavily claiming she saw the defendants pointing guns at her. The fact is a hill was between her and the defendants. She also claimed she was able to take a photo with her cell phone through her binoculars that was admitted into evidence. What was most disturbing about her testimony was her ability to cry. Some have attributed her tears to possible post traumatic stress disorder she may have suffered from reportedly shooting a man in the chest. Anything about guns or body armor, caused her to cry. No idea how credible the jury found her. And so it was with just about every witness.
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