who is the us attorney prosecuting scott warren

Case Snapshot

Every year, thousands of migrants die on the treacherous journey across the Sonoran Desert in Arizona seeking a new life in the United States. Inspired by his religious beliefs, Dr.

Status

On November 21, 2019, a federal court acquitted Dr. Warren of the charges of abandonment of property based on his defense under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), ruling that the government didn’t need to burden Dr.

Case Summary

Every year thousands of migrants travel across the Sonoran Desert—one of the most extreme environments in North America—to the United States border in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The journey is treacherous, and thousands of migrants die on the way from exposure, dehydration, and hyperthermia.

Where is Scott Warren's trial?

Across from the Tucson federal courthouse, where Scott Warren’s felony trial is taking place, a group of prisoners in orange rake the leaves of a towering mesquite tree.

What was the name of the case that Scott Daniel Warren was involved in?

He provided rest, food, and water to the two men. The case is titled United States v. Scott Daniel Warren, and the prosecutors introduce themselves in court as representatives of the United States government. It’s the second trial Scott, his friends and family, humanitarian aid groups like No More Deaths and Ajo Samaritans, ...

Who painted the screens during Scott's trial?

The interpreter has to translate this. This painting by Cesya Palmer illustrates what the screens looked like as they displayed Jose and Kristian’s video depositions during Scott’s trial. Jose and Kristian’s testimonies were taped in the same courthouse where Scott’s trial took place in May 2019.

What is the misdemeanor for Scott?

Scott faces one misdemean or for placing food, water, medical supplies, and blankets on designated wilderness in Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and another for driving on administrative roads in the refuge.

What does Kuykendall say about the law?

“They still don’t understand what the law is,” Kuykendall replied. “That’s the fundamental problem. They don’t like the law, so they’re just saying, ‘Well, that’s not the law,’ even though the jury instructions are just crystal clear that’s the law.”

What was the area of responsibility for Warren's arrest?

For Border Patrol Agent John Marquez, the man who began the investigation that led to Warren’s arrest, the mountains in Arizona’s west desert are “large terrain features” in his “area of responsibility” that facilitate the illicit movement of goods and people . The landscape is not an intricate ecosystem of human and non-human inhabitants with a complex history stretching back thousands of years — which is how Warren and others see it.

Who is Warren's attorney?

Sitting in his office the day after the acquittal, Warren’s lead defense attorney, Greg Kuykendall, picked up a copy of the Arizona Daily Star. Warren’s victory was front-page news. Kuykendall read aloud from a statement that Bailey, the U.S. attorney, had given to the press. The statement said, “And we won’t distinguish between whether somebody is trafficking or harboring for money or whether they’re doing it out of, you know, what I would say is a misguided sense of social justice or belief in open borders or whatever.”

Who is Katherine Franke?

Katherine Franke, a law professor at Columbia, where she is faculty director of the Law, Rights, and Religion Project, agreed. “Oh, it’s enormous,” she told me. Franke has been following Warren’s case closely, filing motions on his behalf based on her expertise in the intersection of law and religion.