PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Latest on the trial of seven defendants in a standoff at a wildlife refuge in Oregon (all times local):
11:30 a.m.
A judge overseeing the trial of seven defendants who took over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has dismissed a juror after questions arose about his impartiality during deliberations.
U.S. District Judge Anna Brown in Portland dismissed the juror Wednesday and replaced him with an alternate.
The jury will not resume deliberations until Thursday because the alternate must travel to Portland from Central Oregon.
Another juror sent a note Tuesday stating the now-dismissed juror had declared he was “very biased” during deliberations.
Brown says the juror is a man who worked for the Bureau of Land Management 20 years ago.
The BLM is under the same federal umbrella as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Ammon Bundy and six others staged a 41-day armed takeover of the refuge in January.
___
10:35 a.m.
A defense attorney for one of the defendants on trial for the armed takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has asked a judge overseeing jury deliberations to dismiss a juror over allegations of bias.
Marcus Mumford, the attorney for defendant Ammon Bundy, said in the motion filed early Wednesday that if Juror No. 11 is not dismissed, the court should declare a mistrial.
Another juror sent a note Tuesday stating a juror had declared he was “very biased” during deliberations.
U.S. District Judge Anna Brown says the juror is a man who worked for the Bureau of Land Management 20 years ago.
Another federal land management agency - the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - oversees the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, which Bundy and six others took over for 41 days in January
___
This story corrects an earlier NewsNow saying the Bureau of Land Management oversees Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. It is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.