Has anyone ever heard of this Rancher who seems to have made 12,000 citizen arrests of illegals on his ranch?

Question

I've never heard of this guy before. It looks like a pro-illegal group that previously tried to get him into trouble for arresting the illegals is trying a different tack.

That aside, I am surprised that I never heard of this person. Does anyone else know anything about him?

What do you think of this?

http://www.svherald.com/articles/2006/09/08/local_news/news2.txt

"The plaintiff in the suit, Ronald Morales of Douglas, alleges that Roger Barnett threatened him and his hunting party, which included one girl aged 9 and two others aged 11, with an AR-15 assault rifle after Barnett accused them of trespassing on his Douglas ranch on Oct. 30, 2004. Morales says the property was state trust land leased by Barnett, which made it permissible for him to hunt there.

The Morales suit is being sponsored by the Tucson-based migrant-rights group Border Action Network, which has long accused Roger Barnett of abusing the illegal immigrants he rounds up on his ranch and turns over to the Border Patrol.

In June, a Superior Court jury ruled in favor of the Barnetts in another Border Action Network-sponsored suit that accused the family of trespassing on a monastery’s property as they pursued a group of migrants.

During that trial, Roger Barnett testified that he had made citizen’s arrests of more than 12,000 illegal immigrants since 1996."

Anyone else know about this guy?

Lebatt, these people were on his ranch hunting. I don't know about the lease of federal land part, but usuallly it is not ok to hunt (note the guns on that side, too) on someone's ranch. Cows don't wear orange.

I don't know this guy, though, so I can't say he's doing the right thing or isn't. That is why I was asking if anyone else had information.

Answer 1

That's an angle that hasn't really surfaced much yet, the power of citizen's arrest. Key word there 'citizens'....as in 'citizenship', as in something the illegal aliens won't be getting THIS year...or next, or the year after that, or...I say 'more power to him', but he wouldn't have to go through that kind of personal duress if the US Border Patrol were fully in force etc.

I read that the new president of Mexico is going to, get ready for it, petition to get the United States to let MORE Mexican citizens into the country. We REALLY need that border fence in place, here. Congress has shown signs of life, though, on acting/moving on enforcement legislation, time will tell what results from all of it...if they cave on this we're going to end up paying taxes to support the rest of Mexico, too...which means any sane businessman is going to be looking at Vietnam or points beyond to take what's left of their revenue to before it's all gone. Opening the floodgates is NOT the smartest thing our representation could be considering right now...and thankfully they've had a moment of sanity, and reconsidered that option...
but, money talks, and there's some people with 'mucho dinero' that'd very much like to see a US/Mexico 'shotgun wedding'...
here's hoping the voters keep calling these guys on the carpet for undue influence etc.

Answer 2

This is comical actually. State laws regarding who can make arrests when and for what varies, and I'm not sure what federal law says on it (immigration violations are federal violations, not state). I know in Texas a person has to be committing a felony. That's #1. Since unlawful presence is not a felony, that would not be a situation where a citizen could make an arrest I don't think. And a person can not assume the immigrant entered illegally because some people overstay visas. Besides, even if we assumed everyone entered illegally, a federal felony, we can't go arresting people for felonies that are not in progress. Off-duty police officers almost never mess with that, so why should citizens? Here's the other issue. There is no requirement for any illegal alien, or any person for that matter, to identify themselves to another person in situations where someone is looking to make a citizen's arrest. In fact, in many cases a police officer cannot walk up to someone and demand identification. Furthermore, local and state police cannot enforce immigration laws. So how can a private citizen verify someone is illegal in order to arrest them? Lastly, making citizen's arrests can be filled with liability. If someone fights the arrest, and then you use excessive force, your over. YOU go to jail. Some may fight because they don't know who you are. If someone comes to me trying to make a citizen's arrest for no good reason, they will have a serious problem. People don't understand liability, and the role it plays, when they go and attempt to detain someone. If you screw it up, just a little bit, you can be charged with a felony.

Answer 3

Toss the case in the trash? Are you crazy!? These are US citizens that were hunting not illegals with guns! Read the link. The ranchers ATRNY is trying to block 700 plus police complaints about him and so on. Red neck mentality needs to stop. Iwish they sued for more than 200k.

Citizen's arrests should be under circumstance versus hunting for people like this guy and the minute men. There are to many dangers allowing this bounty hunter like action. We do not know who is holding the guns etc. There are no background checks or proper training.

I know all you racists are so broken up about mexicans. Give me a damn break. They do not hurt the economy and they are hard workers. You people use things like this for an excuse to spread your damn hate.

Answer 4

Seems kinda funny a Pro Illegal group would sponsor a suit against an Anti Illegal doesn't it. They apparently wanna take this guy out of action for doing what our government refuses to do. I hope that the Judge tosses this case right in the Trash where it belongs.

Answer 5

What the pro-criminals want to do, even though the keep trying until something sticks, is to set precedent that crossing the border is precluded from justice and further trump Congress by having a court declare all illegals have civil rights. Once a court declares anything no one in Congress has the **** to pass legislation to fix it.

It's the law they are attacking, that's why it's called an INVASION.

Answer 6

Before I read the article I just assumed it was Charlton Heston, you know, "Get your stinkin' tax free paws off me, you damn dirty itinerant maintenance worker!"

Answer 7

No I never heard about it--how very interesting-I would love to hear more.

Answer 8

sooner or later some illegal will pop a cap guess he cound,t make it as reg cop

Answer 9

This rancher had EVERY RIGHT to make a citizens' arrest on these TRESPASSERS!!!!

Answer 10

???? Never heard of this