LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest on the Las Vegas retrial of four men accused of wielding assault-style weapons against federal land management agents to stop a round-up of anti-government figure Cliven Bundy’s cattle in April 2014 (all times local):
3 p.m.
Restrictions placed by a federal judge on what defendants can say about being at Cliven Bundy’s ranch in April 2014 are leading to tense moments in a Las Vegas courtroom.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro refused Monday to order a mistrial sought by the defense attorney for Eric Parker.
Parker is one of four men accused of wielding assault-style weapons to stop federal agents from rounding up cattle belonging to the anti-government figure.
He’s the defendant who Navarro ordered off the witness stand last week, before telling the jury to disregard his testimony.
Outside the presence of the jury on Monday, Navarro said she thought Parker was mocking court rulings she handed down previously that limit the scope of defense presentations to what the men saw and did, not what they felt or why they acted.
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12:30 p.m.
A judge decided not to sanction defendants in the Las Vegas retrial of four men accused of wielding assault-style weapons against federal land management agents to stop a round-up of anti-government figure Cliven Bundy’s cattle in April 2014.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said Monday she won’t require closing arguments to be submitted in advance, and won’t order a preview of defendant Scott Drexler’s testimony.
Outside the presence of the jury, Navarro said she expects Drexler’s testimony will stay within rulings she previously made to keep testimony focusing on the armed standoff - not on constitutional issues and federal land policy.
The judge on Thursday took the unusual step of ordering defendant Eric Parker off the witness stand and instructing jurors to disregard his testimony.
The judge says she determined that Parker was trying to invite jury “nullification” of charges in the case.
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11:05 a.m.
A judge is considering sanctions against defendants in the Las Vegas retrial of four men accused of wielding assault-style weapons against federal land management agents to stop a round-up of anti-government figure Cliven Bundy’s cattle in April 2014.
Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro on Monday rejected a defense bid for a mistrial, but said contentious testimony on Thursday by defendant Eric Parker was outside rules she had set and appeared to be a deliberate effort to invite jury “nullification” of charges.
Navarro eventually ordered Parker to step down from the witness stand, and government prosecutors want her to instruct jurors to disregard Parker’s testimony altogether.
Parker’s attorney, Jess Marchese (mar-KAY’-zee), says defendants are being denied any ability to explain why they were at the Bundy ranch.
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