16 illegals sue Arizona rancher

[TheMercenary]

Another lawyer tries to make it big....


16 illegals sue Arizona rancher
Claim violation of rights as they crossed his land
Jerry Seper
Monday, February 9, 2009

Buzz up!An Arizona man who has waged a 10-year campaign to stop a flood of illegal immigrants from crossing his property is being sued by 16 Mexican nationals who accuse him of conspiring to violate their civil rights when he stopped them at gunpoint on his ranch on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home.

His Cross Rail Ranch near Douglas, Ariz., is known by federal and county law enforcement authorities as "the avenue of choice" for immigrants seeking to enter the United States illegally.

Trial continues Monday in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $32 million in actual and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the infliction of emotional distress and other crimes. Also named are Mr. Barnett's wife, Barbara, his brother, Donald, and Larry Dever, sheriff in Cochise County, Ariz., where the Barnetts live. The civil trial is expected to continue until Friday.

The lawsuit is based on a March 7, 2004, incident in a dry wash on the 22,000-acre ranch, when he approached a group of illegal immigrants while carrying a gun and accompanied by a large dog.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...izona-rancher/

[classicman]

Wow, so someone is being sued because he defended his own property by illegal immigrants who don't even belong in this country? WTF?

The article says he turned over 12,000 in about 10 years. That's a lot for one guy, don't ya think? A hundred a month???

[Aliantha]

I don't think the fact that they're illegal should even enter into it.

People were trespassing on his land, and it is my understanding that according to your constitution, he has a right to defend his family and property.

That they're illegal immigrants is a whole different issue.

[TheMercenary]

Sounds like he has sustained a lot of damage as they use his place as a super highway to break our laws. At least he was nice enough to carry a radio and call the border patrol when he found the trespassers. They are lucky he just didn't shoot their ass and say it was some drug shoot out or a coyote gone bad.

This is the same vigilante, Roger Barnett, who did something very similar to US citizens:

Today, the Arizona Supreme Court rejected the appeal of border vigilante Roger Barnett who was found liable by a jury after assaulting a family of Latino U.S. citizens while they were hunting on state land in southern Arizona. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), which represents the plaintiffs in the case, urged the Supreme Court to reject Barnett’s appeal and argued that the jury had rightfully found Barnett at fault for his vicious attack upon the family.

The Morales family and Emma English, a family friend, filed suit after Barnett confronted them on state leased land in November 2004, while they were on a family hunting trip. Armed with a semi-automatic military-style assault rifle, Barnett held the family at gunpoint, cursed and screamed racial slurs at them and threatened to kill them all. The jury heard the testimony of three young girls, all under the age of 12 at the time, that vividly described the event and the trauma they suffered at the hands of Barnett. The jury ultimately awarded the family $100,000 in damages, which Barnett must pay now that the Supreme Court has rejected his appeal.

http://www.maldef.org/news/press.cfm...&FromIndex=yes

Illegal immigration needs to be controlled....so does vigilantism. Good for the Morales family for suing this guy's self-righteous ass.

This guy is a danger to society, particularly if your skin is brown and you happen to be near the border!

[TheMercenary]

The only society he is a danger to is the one trying to sneak into our country illegally. Good on him. Maybe they will find a new path to use in the future. They guy is way out there on his own for one reason, because the border patrol can't control the border. It is a big joke.

"A vigilante goes out, rounds up people, holds a trial and executes them. I haven't done that yet," Barnett told USA Today that same year. "But bloodshed could happen." - Roger Barnett

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intel...le.jsp?aid=758

Vigilantism is illegal as well.

"You a lawyer?" he asked with a sneer. "You're full of shit. I can stop 'em out on the road if I want. Didn't you hear what Bush said? Everybody needs to be vigilant and help the homeland security. I can do whatever I want." - Roger Barnett

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feat...te/index2.html

Contrary to Barnett's interpretation of Bush's "message to the people"...vigilantism is not patriotism.

[TheMercenary]

Yea, so what's the problem?

[TheMercenary]

Sure the guy stepped out of line in those cases. But yet we are going to go to bat for the people that violated his rights? I don't think so.

I dont know if you're serious or not...and that is scary!

Stepped out of line?

Damn....He is taking the law into his own hands....a repeat offender.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

Stepped out of line?

Damn....He is taking the law into his own hands....a repeat offender.

Yep, people can only take so much of being shat on and ignored by the people who are suppose to be protecting them before they have to do something to protect their property and in some case the fear for their lives.

Vigilantism is NOT patriotism.

You are condoning breaking the law to fight breaking the law.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by Redux

I dont know if you're serious or not...and that is scary!

In this particular case I support the guy and not the illegals. They need to find another way into the country that isn't through his property. I have no problem with what he did. I guess his peers will sit on his jury and he can make his case to them.