Some of the rabid right portray Arizona Rancher Roger Barnett as a “Patriot”, an “American Hero”, but the trial ongoing in Cochise County Arizona shows Barnett for what he truly is. Simply another racist vigilante coward with no respect for other human beings.
The lawsuit is based on a March 7, 2004, incident in a dry wash on the 22,000-acre ranch Barret owns, 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), which also charged that Sheriff Dever did nothing to prevent Mr. Barnett from holding their clients at “gunpoint, yelling obscenities at them and kicking one of the women.”
In the lawsuit, MALDEF said Mr. Barnett approached the group as the immigrants moved through his property, and that he was carrying a pistol and threatening them in English and Spanish. At one point, it said, Mr. Barnett’s dog barked at several of the women and he yelled at them in Spanish, “My dog is hungry and he’s hungry for ass.”
The lawsuit said he then called his wife and two Border Patrol agents arrived at the site
In March, U.S. District Judge John Roll rejected a motion by Mr. Barnett to have the charges dropped, ruling there was sufficient evidence to allow the matter to be presented to a jury. The Judge by this ruling indicated that illegal immigrants do not leave all legal protections at the border. Mr. Barnett’s attorney, David Hardy, had argued that illegal immigrants did not have the same rights as U.S. citizens.
This is noteworthy because Arizona law allows the use of physical and even deadly force to prevent the commission of certain serious crimes, and also allows for a person to use physical force against another when and to the extent that a “reasonable person” would believe it necessary to prevent criminal trespass on their premises, or to prevent theft or criminal damage to certain property.
Nevertheless, a violation of individuals’ federal constitutional rights would trump any justifications afforded by state law, and might explain why this matter is now being tried.
This is not the first time Barret has been before a Judge for terrorizing Immigrants, both legal and illegal.
From left, Ana English, Ed English, Vanese Morales, Ron Morales, Emma English, Renee Morales and Angelique Morales stand behind attorney Jesus Romo Vejar.
In that case, Ronald Morales and his father, Arturo, were deer hunting with Ronald’s two daughters, who were 11 and 9 at the time, and another 11-year-old girl. All members of the family are Mexican-Americans born in the United States.
Barnett spotted the family’s pickup truck through binoculars and radioed his brother, Donald, asking him to investigate. Ronald Morales and one of his daughters were still out hunting when Donald Barnett made contact with others in the party at their truck, informed them they were on Barnett property and asked them to leave.
By the time Ronald Morales and his daughter returned to the truck, Roger Barnett had arrived and was, by all accounts, livid.
Roger Barnett erupted in flurry of profanities and racial epithets, calling the two men and three young girls dirty, ignorant Mexicans. When Ronald Morales asked, “What is your name, sir?” Roger Barnett marched over to his truck, and pulled out an AR-15 assault rifle.
“He said, ‘My fucking name is Roger Barnett. If you don’t get off my property, I’m gonna shoot you and shoot you and shoot you,’ ” Morales testified.
Although a deputy sheriff who investigated the incident at the time found evidence to charge Roger Barnett with eight felony counts of aggravated assault and 10 misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and intimidation, the Cochise County prosecutor refused to file criminal charges against the Barnett brothers. Morales says the county attorney simply told him “no jury in Cochise County will ever convict Roger Barnett.”
Remember we’re in Arizona where it appears the citizenry give their stamp of approval to Border Patrol agents who summarily execute illegal entrants without fear of conviction such as was the case of Nicholas Corbett.
Let’s hope the jury hearing this case has the cojones to return a just and fair verdict in favor of the plaintiff’s.
SOURCES: Washington Times
SPLC
