BOISE, Idaho — Ammon Bundy and one other were arrested Monday for failure to appear in court after refusing to wear a mask into the courthouse for jury trial.
Bundy was arrested after he failed to appear for his jury trial, court records show. He was booked into the Ada County Jail on the misdemeanor charge at 11 a.m. and is being held on a $10,000 bail.
Ada County Sheriff deputies also arrested Aaron von Schmidt on misdemeanor failure to appear in court. Both men refused to wear a mask to go into the Ada County Courthouse for their jury trials, defying Idaho Supreme Court order. A judge then issued a warrant for both men for failure to appear.
The AP reports Bundy and around two dozen others protested outside the building over mask mandates. Some of the protesters held signs with slogans, “Ammon stands for truth” while others yelled, according to the AP. Bundy is representing himself in the case and has previously said he does not believe he did anything illegal, according to the AP.
Once the judge issued the warrant, deputies asked if they would voluntarily go with them but Bundy and Schmidt refused. Deputies then came and arrested both of them when Bundy laid on the ground and refused to move, officials say.
The protestors locked their arms to make it harder for deputies to get to Bundy and Schmidt. At the same time, Casey J. Baker and Garth C. Gaylord got into physical confrontations with the deputies, according to ACSO. A third man got caught up in the crowd then fell down and hit his head on the ground. Paramedics later took him to the hospital, deputies say.
ACSO deputies also arrested Baker, 69, on felony count of battery on a law enforcement officer as well as misdemeanor for resisting and obstructing officer. Gaylord, 32, was cited on charges of resisting and obstructing officers in a confrontation with court security outside the courthouse, according to ACSO.
Bundy was arrested twice for trespassing at the Statehouse by the Idaho State Police in August during the Special Legislative Session. Bundy was served a No Trespass Notice by ISP before his second arrest, according to police. The notice is in place for one year and expires on August 26, 2021.
Update: This is a redacted copy of the No Trespass Notice served to Mr. Bundy just prior to his arrest this morning. The notice remains in effect for one year. pic.twitter.com/BrfiXy4Rou
— Idaho State Police (@ISPHeadquarters) August 26, 2020
In October, Bundy pleaded not guilty to the trespassing charges in a drive-up arraignment. Bundy appeared in virtual court in November, where he told the judge that he does not believe the state has "legal standing" to charge him with trespassing, according to our media partner, the Idaho Statesman. The Statesman reports the prosecution offered Bundy a plea deal, but he had denied that at the time.
Idaho News 6 has reached out to ISP for comment but has not heard back yet.
