no longer yours

When farcical trials like this one are allowed to proceed, I really start to fear for my country:

Roger Barnett, 64, began rounding up illegal immigrants in 1998 and turning them over to the U.S. Border Patrol, he said, after they destroyed his property, killed his calves and broke into his home.

His Cross Rail Ranch near Douglas, Ariz., is known by federal and county law enforcement authorities as “the avenue of choice” for immigrants seeking to enter the United States illegally.

Trial continues Monday in the federal lawsuit, which seeks $32 million in actual and punitive damages for civil rights violations, the infliction of emotional distress and other crimes. Also named are Mr. Barnett’s wife, Barbara, his brother, Donald, and Larry Dever, sheriff in Cochise County, Ariz., where the Barnetts live. The civil trial is expected to continue until Friday.

The lawsuit is based on a March 7, 2004, incident in a dry wash on the 22,000-acre ranch, when he approached a group of illegal immigrants while carrying a gun and accompanied by a large dog.

Attorneys for the immigrants – five women and 11 men who were trying to cross illegally into the United States – have accused Mr. Barnett of holding the group captive at gunpoint, threatening to turn his dog loose on them and saying he would shoot anyone who tried to escape.

…

Mr. Barnett told The Washington Times in a 2002 interview that he began rounding up illegal immigrants after they started to vandalize his property, northeast of Douglas along Arizona Highway 80. He said the immigrants tore up water pumps, killed calves, destroyed fences and gates, stole trucks and broke into his home.

…

Mr. Barnett said some of the ranch´s established immigrant trails were littered with trash 10 inches deep, including human waste, used toilet paper, soiled diapers, cigarette packs, clothes, backpacks, empty 1-gallon water bottles, chewing-gum wrappers and aluminum foil – which supposedly is used to pack the drugs the immigrant smugglers give their “clients” to keep them running.

…

“This is my land. I´m the victim here,” Mr. Barnett said. “When someone´s home and loved ones are in jeopardy and the government seemingly can´t do anything about it, I feel justified in taking matters into my own hands. And I always watch my back.”

These people were illegally trespassing in another country, they were illegally trespassing on someone else’s private land, and they have the unmitigated gall to sue the owner of that land when he takes the necessary measures to protect himself, his property, and his livelihood? Give me a frakking break!
But, unfortuantely, this is America, the country where civil trials have taken a mind of their own, and people can sue each other for damned near anything any more, and probably win copious amounts of money in the process. Given that this incident allegedly took place back in 2004, I am rather surprised that it took the illegal immigrants this long to figure that much out.
Oh, and before anyone gets too pissy about the accusation that “he would shoot anyone who tried to escape”, Arizona allows for citizens’ arrests in the instances of felonies, suspicion of felonies, or misdemeanor breach of the peace (see Arizona Revised Statute 13-3884). I was certainly not there, and did not hear the conversation that transpired, but I cannot fault Mr. Barnett for executing a citizen’s arrest on individuals who unlawfully entered the United States, and were further illegally tresspassing on his property. After all, if a person cannot legally protect and defend his own property, is it really his property any more?