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Show Judge Sentences Gardner In Nevada RENO, Nev. - Cliff Gardner, Ruby Valley rancher, was sentenced Mar. II in U.S. District Court for a "petty" offense of trespassing on "Forest Service land" by Feder-al District Judge Howard Mc-Kibben. Mc-Kibben. A petty offense was identified by McKibben as being less "than a misdemeanor. Judge McKibben said that Gardner was being punished for "violating "violat-ing the law in the District of Nevada." "Words have meaning," said Janine Hansen, executive director direc-tor of the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood. "Judge McKibben has confirmed that Nevada is not being recognized as a sovereign state, but as a 'District' or, in other words, a territory of the Federal Government. In a territory (See GARDNER on page 4-A) Gardner From Front Page Article IV of the U.S. Constitution governs, therefore Constitutional protections are not guaranteed. We live in a sovereign sov-ereign state where Constitutional Constitution-al rights are supposed to be absolute, but our rights are now determined at the whim of the federal government. Federal tyranny has prevailed today." "We ought to advise Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa not to waste any more taxpayers' taxpay-ers' dollars on a lawsuit concerning con-cerning use of Nevada's water at Yucca Mountain. According to Judge McKibben Nevada is not a state, therefore as a territory water rights belong to the 'feder-alies'. 'feder-alies'. If Frankie Sue wants to protect Nevada's water rights, she should have started by protecting pro-tecting Cliff Gardner's water rights," stated David Holmgren, Chairman of the Nevada Livestock Association. Cliff Gardner will serve one month in a half-way house, 90 days on house arrest, pay a $5,000 fine and spend one year on probation with the threat of incarceration if he violates the terms of probation. "The threat to other ranchers who oppose federal tyranny is clear. Submit or go to jail. In the tradition of our founding fathers we will not submit to tyranny," stated Jackie Holmgren, Ranching Representative the Nevada Committee for Full Statehood. Cliff Gardner in his statement to the court said, "From the beginning my only objective has been to get the court to address .-the question as to whether it is proper under our Constitutional government for a sovereign citizen citi-zen of an admitted State of the Union to be deprived of his ; rights, as my family and I have been, when subject to Article IV jurisdiction. This court has not ; ; addressed this concern and now it appears that the 9th Circuit Court has indicated that only the . '. United State Supreme Court can ' " make such a determination." The 9th Circuit Court said. "With a wealth of legal learning, Gardner has sought to demonstrate demon-strate the soundness of his contentions. con-tentions. If he were right, it would be a jurisprudential revolution." revo-lution." Gardner continued, "Would it be right for this court to punish and incarcerate me simply because the Forest Service people peo-ple want to stop other people from doing as I have done, when, in fact, all I have ever done, is to stand up for my rights. "At the conclusion of the last hearing for sentencing, a year ago, you suggested that I approach the Forest Service people peo-ple and be allowed to meet with them, to see if we could work something out. I did that. I wrote several letters to them, yet 1 was denied. They wouldn't even sit down with me, let alone talk to me about it. I ask that you take into consideration the unwilling (See GARDNER on page 5-A) Cliff Gardner Sentenced From Pase 4-A ness of the Forest personnel to work with us, both before our permit was canceled and since our permit was canceled," Gardner said. Gardner continued, "The contention of the Forest Service, that the taxpayers of the nation are losing money because Cliff Gardner has created a situation whereby other people's cattle cannot be run on the Gardner allotment is not true. Over the past 10 or more years the government gov-ernment people have been successful suc-cessful in causing a great many ranching families to abandon their allotments." Unreasonable federal regulations regula-tions have forced many ranchers off the land. Those who choose to stay have no choice but to oppose extreme federal regulations regula-tions that make it impossible to ranch, thus exposing them to unavoidable violations. The Nevada Committee for Full Statehood asserts that before sentencing Gardner, Judge McKibben mistakenly asserted that Gardner had to be punished because all the rest of the ranchers did not violate the federal laws. In 2001, a Nevada Grazing Statistics Report and Economic Analysis for Federal Lands in Nevada exposed that the second largest category given by the Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service for elimination of livestock grazing was alleged rancher violations. vio-lations. These facts refute Judge McKibben 's argument for conviction con-viction of Cliff Gardner. Unfortunately, Gardner still pays the price regardless of the facts. After sentencing, Gardner said, "Courts are to protect the individual from the government, not to stifle honest dissent." The feds are into rural cleansing. cleans-ing. "Ely has been left without a rural industry. The mines are closed. The livestock are gone. The only thing we have left is the prison," said Jim Hollenger who came for the Cow County Convoy in support of Cliff Gardner. At the protest, Verna Snodgrass, a senior citizen from Churchill County said, "They drove us off our ranch years ago. We had to move to town. It was hard to make an honest living." The Cow County Convoy included ranching families and supporters from 15 counties with pickups, stock trailers and Nevada flags flying. The Convoy circled the federal courthouse, horns honking. They then unloaded over 20 horses. Mounted riders rode repeatedly around the federal courthouse greeted with public support. Eighty demonstrators held flags, balloons and signs supporting Gardner and Full Statehood for Nevada and then filled the courtroom. Thomas Jefferson of Elko, Dave Schuman of Douglas' County, Mel Bundy of Clark County, David Holmgren of Mineral County, O.Q. Chris Johnson of Elko sat as visitors from the Revolutionary War for Independence sporting three cornered hats, wigs, and period costumes. Cliven Bundy a rancher from Clark County said, "this court has tried to intimidate the citizens citi-zens of Nevada by attempting to make an example of Cliff Gardner. It will backfire. People will continue to oppose this federal fed-eral tyranny." Additional information is available from Cliff Gardner, 775-779-2234; Janine Hansen, 775-352-8262; Jackie and David Holmgren, . 775-530-5313; or Chris Johnson 775- |
