Tuesday, October 03, 2017

Bunkerville Defendant: Jurors Will Be Biased Against Gun Owners After Vegas Shooting

A defendant who pleaded guilty to last year's occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon is asking a judge to delay his trial in Nevada, set to begin next week. Ryan Payne has also been charged for his role in a 2014 armed standoff between ranchers and the Bureau of Land Management. In a court filing Monday, Payne's attorneys argued Sunday night's shooting in Las Vegas — which killed at least 59 people and injured more than 500 — would prejudice potential jurors and make it difficult to assess the credibility of government witnesses. "The horror of this recent shooting is too recent, and the impact of this incident on the community is too severe, for a fair trial to commence next week," Payne's attorneys wrote. They've asked the judge delay the trial, which would take place in Las Vegas, by at least 60 days. "This is not the time to pick a jury and commence a trial in this case," Payne's attorneys wrote. "It is clear that this unprecedented act of violence will prevent the defendants from having a fair trial in this city one week from now."...more

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