Bundy offered to plead guilty days after arrest

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Ammon Bundy, the defacto leader in the 41-day Oregon standoff, offered to plead guilty 3 days after his arrest on Jan. 26, said his attorney Mike Arnold.

In exchange for a guilty plea, Bundy demanded that all charges against his comrades be dropped. Bundy also requested that the remaining militia, at that time still occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, be allowed to leave without arrest.

The federal government denied his plea deal.

Now Bundy is prepared to leave those very same comrades behind in court – if need be.

Arnold said Bundy may request to be tried separately from his indicted co-conspirators if it means he will get a speedy trial.

“As far as prepping for a trial and prepping for motions, he has a right to a fair trial and a speedy trial. And if he’s presented with that Hobbesian Choice — a fair trial versus a speedy trial — he chooses speedy trial. So we’re ready to try this case. Let’s do it.”

Arnold is referring to pre-trial motions his client has not been able to review. The defense feels that motions and continuances have only favored the prosecution.

In a statement released to KOIN 6 News, Arnold said, “So far, continuances in this case have been made only to accommodate the government’s repeated requests to delay.”

The defense is prepared to request Bundy be tried separately to protect his right to due process.

U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown set a September trial for more than two dozen defendants charged in the 41-day takeover of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon.

The judge left open the possibility for an eventual delay, but said the right to a speedy trial is paramount for now.