PORTLAND — A dust-up between Ammon Bundy and a deputy U.S. marshal late Thursday while defendants and their lawyers were allowed to remain in a federal courtroom to confer after the conspiracy trial had adjourned for the day has resulted in reduced privileges for Bundy.
Bundy got onto an online chat room using his defense lawyer’s computer in Courtroom 9A to send a message to his wife, and the deputy told him to stop and get off the computer, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bundy was “very disrespectful” and declared he wasn’t going to follow the deputy’s directions, saying, “I’m not going to do what you want,” Deputy U.S. Marshal Troy Gangwisch told U.S. District Judge Robert E. Jones in a brief status hearing Friday afternoon.
Bundy’s defense lawyer, Marcus Mumford, told the court that he was about 10 to 15 feet away when the dispute occurred.
Mumford said his client just wanted to send his wife a message, telling her that he loved her.
“All I heard was the aftermath,” Mumford said. “The marshal and Mr. Bundy exchanged words.”
As a result, the U.S. Marshals Service moved to end the special accommodations the court had made for Bundy to meet together with his lawyers, as well as brother Ryan Bundy, a co-defendant in the trial, in a locked room in the courthouse as they’ve done about 20 times to help them prepare and work on their defense.
The two are among seven defendants on trial in the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, charged with conspiring to prevent federal employees from carrying out their work at the refuge through intimidation, threats or force.
Instead, the marshals are allowing Bundy to meet with his lawyer in one of the courthouse interview rooms, where the defendant is separated from the lawyer by a see-through screen.
Mumford urged the court to allow the earlier accommodation. “We would still want to meet with Mr. Bundy in a contact setting” to review evidence that is still expected to be presented in the ongoing case, he said.
Trial resumes Tuesday morning before U.S. District Judge Anna J. Brown.
