Lemmeeesee, heah, Gomer.
You own the property. You maintain the property. You pay taxes on the property.
But you shall not enforce your property-rights?
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.
...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
...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.
Attorneys for the immigrants - five women and 11 men who were trying to cross illegally into the United States - have accused Mr. Barnett of holding the group captive at gunpoint, threatening to turn his dog loose on them and saying he would shoot anyone who tried to escape.
The immigrants are represented at trial by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF)...,
As soon as you see MALDEF, (the Hispanic ACLU), you understand.
Another assault on the rule of law, which, if successful, will serve to derogate such "rule" even further.
Esenberg (et al on law school faculties) should be concerned...
I was totally on this guys side until I read "saying he would shoot anyone who tried to escape." A person has the right to prevent trespassing, but nobody has the right to hold someone captive at gunpoint--no matter whose property they may be on.
ReplyDeleteThat's what the folks bringing the lawsuit are claiming he said. So for now, that's just a claim.
ReplyDeleteAnd aren't his claims "just claims," too?
ReplyDeleteNot the claim to his property, Scott.
ReplyDelete