BOISE, Idaho — Ammon Bundy appeared in an Ada County courtroom Tuesday for an arraignment on contempt charges stemming from ongoing lawsuits brought forward by St. Luke's and some of its employees.
Members of the People's Rights Network, which was also named in the lawsuits, were present in the courtroom and outside the courthouse carrying signs that said things like "Kiss your freedom of speech goodbye" and "Warning!!! The 2A will defend the 1A."
The contempt charges outline accusations that Bundy and the People's Rights Network did not comply with a previous judge's orders to remove accusatory comments about one of the plaintiffs on the PRN website in a timely manner, along with making intimidating or harassing statements regarding witnesses in the case.
Court documents allege Bundy called the hospital system and its employees child kidnappers and child traffickers, relating to a child protection case that sparked protests at the hospital and ultimately shut down some hospital operations.
At Tuesday's arraignment, Judge Nancy Baskin explained the maximum possible penalty for the allegations of contempt would not exceed six months of incarceration, therefore, Bundy is not eligible for a jury trial. She set a court trial date for October 2, and said proceedings could take up to four days.
Bundy inquired about the possibility of getting a new judge for his case. He was advised he would have to file a motion requesting the court to recuse themselves.
Bundy has represented himself in past proceedings and had no comment Tuesday regarding his plans for future counsel. The judge provided him with information on how to apply for a public defender.
"I think you would be at a disadvantage if you represented yourself," Judge Baskin said. "I strongly urge you not to represent yourself. You can make your decision and advise me at the time the trial is set."
When asked if he understood the potential consequences of representing himself in this contempt trial, he repeatedly said, "No comment."
"My issue with attorneys is that they're very timid in the courtroom," Bundy said. "They're not very willing to actually defend their clients."
After Bundy expressed some concerns about limited information regarding what the plaintiffs are alleging as "acts of contempt", Judge Baskin ordered them to provide clarifications to Bundy within one week. He will then have seven days to respond with affirmative defenses.
The judge explained each online posting or public discussion violating the court orders could be considered an act of contempt. Bundy refused to formally admit or deny any of the acts of contempt. The judge entered denials on his behalf.
Counsel for the plaintiffs requested Bundy to sign up for iCourt notifications to receive updates in a timely manner.
"With all due respect, I'm not wanting to make this easy for them," Bundy told the judge. "He's trying to take my home, so he knows my address."
The court trial is scheduled to begin on Oct. 2 at 8:30 am.
