Friday, November 11, 2016

Behind the tasing of Ammon Bundy's lawyer

A transcript gives a blow-by-blow account of the wild end to the Oregon refuge takeover trial when occupation leader Ammon Bundy's lawyer tried to gain his client's immediate release after a surprising acquittal for all seven defendants. Federal marshals ended up tackling attorney Marcus Mumford and stunning him with a Taser. U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown had just told defendant David Fry that she would issue an immediate order for his release and then asked if there was anything else she needed to address. That's when Mumford spoke up. Here's what happened next after the verdicts were announced late on the afternoon of Oct. 27, according to the court transcript. The account includes context added by reporter Maxine Bernstein, who witnessed the scuffle:..more


Read the more complete transcript at Oregonlive and see if you think the U.S. Marshals were justified in tackling and tasering Mumford.

Joe Patrice, who is very anti-Bundy, wrote at Above The Law

There’s nothing in this transcript to suggest that the marshals had any justification for tackling Mumford. He was being a contemptuous prick, but that’s not actually a crime, and certainly he posed no threat to the deputies. Hell, if the Bundy case means anything, it’s that you can aim assault rifles at federal law enforcement and it’s not a crime, so it’s extra hard to believe a pissant lawyer deserved to get roughed up.

And then we get to the tasing...

Was that really necessary? Was this guy really someone that six deputies couldn’t physically restrain? Come on.


No comments: