Judge again restricts fear testimony from Malheur workers

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service employees will again be barred from testifying about any fear they felt during last winter’s armed occupation of their workplace, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon.

U.S. District Judge Anna Brown prevented such testimony during a trial last fall in which occupation leader Ammon Bundy and six co-defendants were acquitted on felony charges of conspiring to impede workers from doing their jobs at the refuge during the six-week takeover.

Four Bundy followers are being tried on the same charge this month, and a prosecutor asked the judge Tuesday to reconsider her stance and allow workers to testify about their fears.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports (https://is.gd/Q1RoaY ) Brown said no. She said the fact there was fear does not prove there was intent to impede.

Jury selection begins Feb. 14.