Posted on 02/17/2009 2:35:59 PM PST by Nachum
A federal jury on Tuesday ruled that an Arizona rancher did not violate the civil rights of 16 Mexican nationals he detained at gunpoint after they had snuck illegally into the United States in 2004, but the jury awarded $78,000 in actual and punitive damages to six of the illegal immigrants on claims of assault and infliction of emotional distress
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Yes!!!!!
Was this a criminal or a civil trial? I’m sure it must have been a civil trial, but some of the charges looked like they were criminal in nature.
The damages are still an outrage. They violated the law by illegally entering this country and trespassing on his land. They should have been shot.
Not the best result, but far better than I was expecting.
It would seem that the “emotional distress” stress would have been brought on when they broke the law slinking across the border. I don’t know how the jury could blame that on the rancher.
Govt should seize the $78,000 for being in this country illegally.
snuck?
Expenses for deportation. Confiscate the award.
Plus I am assuming that the reancher pays court costs his lawyer etc.
Illegal immigrants are going to lawyer people into poverty if they dare resist.
I hope he appeals the award.
How would the situation have been different from an “emotional distress” standpoint had the Mexicans been detained by official Border Patrol Agents? Hmmm?
Criminals caught in the act, suffer emotional distress...and are awarded damages for it.
Is that how it is?
“It would seem that the “emotional distress” stress would have been brought on when they broke the law slinking across the border. I don’t know how the jury could blame that on the rancher.”
Not to mention Barnett and his family and neighbors emotional distress...years of watching your property, livestock, pets, home being torn apart by these ‘trusted travelers’.
So the rancher's out $78 grand, plus lawyer's fees to alien trespassers.
How's this good?
The verdict could have been worse (and I feared that it would be). Nevertheless, that $78,000 awarded the plaintiffs still reflects the contempt the American political class has for the property rights of taxpayers. I fervently hope it gets overturned on appeal, otherwise this case was a legal pinata for MALDEF.
They didn’t deserve to get one damn dime.
The overall decision is a real win! It’s about time some sanity hit the courtrooms in this type of case.
The damages award is a travesty but it will probably get dropped on appeal. If MALDEF thinks it’s going to have to spend more money to collect they just might drop the whole thing.
Forget the government, the rancher should get it for damages to his property.
A suit is a civil proceeding. Criminal proceedings are just that
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