Judge was rude, security over the top in Oregon occupation trial, defense lawyers say

By Maxine Bernstein

Several defense attorneys from the first Oregon refuge occupation trial have written memos supporting Ammon Bundy's lawyer in his fight with the federal court over his behavior during and at the end of the trial when he was tackled by federal marshals and stunned with a Taser. The attorneys praised Marcus Mumford for his demeanor, said he didn't have enough time to prepare for the trial but was a zealous advocate for his client. Some wrote that U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown was especially tough on Mumford, and there was longstanding animosity between Mumford and the marshals before the physical confrontation. This week, Mumford filed in court sworn declarations from his fellow defense attorneys. Some argued that the intense security during the trial last fall in Portland was overblown. One called the physical restraint of Mumford an "appalling overreaction.'' Several wrote of a perceived animosity between Mumford and the marshals throughout the case. They described a lunch break in the middle of the trial when one deputy marshal told the defense lawyers and their clients that their time was up for conferring together. Mumford said something like, "Just five more minutes, guys.'' Another deputy marshal apparently charged toward Mumford and "dressed him down for 'disrespecting' another deputy,'' according to the defense lawyers' statements. Amanda B. Mendenhall, an associate in Mumford's law firm who helped him during most of the trial, said she stood between the deputy marshal and Mumford that afternoon. She wrote that she believed "the marshals had been gunning for Marcus for some time.'' Several defense lawyers, as well as Mumford, surmised that the government suddenly dismissed the criminal charges against him after Mumford's lawyer asked for all texts and email messages between the marshals during the Bundy trial and likely found "unprofessional and embarrassing communications.''...more