Cliven Bundy, co-defendants released from custody

Cliven Bundy greets supporters outside a Las Vegas courthouse.

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A federal judge ordered the immediate release of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy and his co-defendants.

The charges against Cliven Bundy, his sons Ammon and Ryan Bundy, and militia member Ryan Payne arose from the 2014 standoff where Bundy disobeyed court orders to remove cattle from Bureau of Land Management lands after he failed to pay grazing fees. Bundy claimed his family has long-established rights to the public lands. The federal government tried to round up the cattle, resulting in an armed standoff between Bundy supporters and government officials.

Cliven Bundy and his co-defendants were all facing charges together in a Nevada court. However, about a month ago a mistrial was declared by U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro.

According to the judge, the federal government withheld evidence that was favorable to Bundy and other defendants. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro said video surveillance and interviews were “willfully” withheld by the prosecution, amounting to a constitutional violation. The failure to disclose the evidence “undermined the confidence of the outcome of the trial,” Navarro ruled.

On January 8, 2018, Judge Navarro formally dismissed charges against the men “with prejudice,” meaning they won’t be facing a new trial. She went on to criticize the prosecution for having an unfair advantage by not handing over crucial evidence, some of which was favorable to the defense.