who was attorney general min the ruby ridge incident

by Prof. Johnpaul Lemke 8 min read

Following the siege and shootings at Ruby Ridge, that left a federal officer and a suspect's wife and son dead, Attorney General Janet Reno ordered a Justice Department task force to investigate the tragic events of August 1992.

What happened at Ruby Ridge?

THE INCIDENT AT RUBY RIDGE. I’m going to do a series on an important event in American history, the incident at Ruby Ridge. I have wanted to do this for a couple of reasons, I believe that Ruby Ridge is a poster child for abusive governmental action, and it resulted in one of the finest closing arguments in the history of American ...

Was there any federal misconduct in the Ruby Ridge case?

Ruby Ridge, location of an incident in August 1992 in which Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and U.S. marshals engaged in an 11-day standoff with self-proclaimed white separatist Randy Weaver, his family, and a friend named Kevin Harris in an isolated cabin in Boundary county, Idaho. Weaver’s wife, Vicki, his 14-year-old son, Sammy, and U.S. Marshal William …

Was William Barr involved in the Ruby Ridge case?

Jan 16, 2019 · Barr spent two weeks organizing former Attorneys General and others to support “an FBI sniper in defending against criminal charges in …

Who wrote the Federal siege at Ruby Ridge?

Jan 26, 2019 · Bill Barr Needs To Answer For His Role In Ruby Ridge The Second Amendment community has tried very hard to get members of the Judiciary Committee to persuade attorney general nominee William Barr to renounce his long-standing support for gun control. Opposing his nomination is not a position we relish.

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Where is Randy Weaver now?

A 2019 article from Penn Live says that Randy is now living in Montana, more than 100 miles away from Ruby Ridge. He lives in the state with his daughters and is now a grandfather.Apr 14, 2021

Who was the FBI HRT commander at Ruby Ridge?

Lon HoriuchiAlma materU.S. Military Academy (1976)OccupationSniperOrganizationFBI Hostage Rescue Team (1984–2014) United States Army (1976–1984)Known forRuby Ridge, Waco controversies2 more rows

Why did Randy Weaver have a warrant?

Ruby Ridge was the site of an 11-day siege in 1992 in Boundary County, Idaho, near Naples. It began on August 21, when deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) initiated action to apprehend and arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant after his failure to appear on a firearms charge.

Who shot Randy Weaver's wife?

Horiuchi wounded Weaver, and the group ran to the shed where Sammy's body was lying. When they attempted to escape back into the cabin, Horiuchi fired again, wounding Harris as he dove through the door and killing Vicki Weaver, who was holding the door open with one hand and cradling her infant daughter with the other.

Was Randy Weaver a Green Beret?

Randy Weaver was a college drop-out and former Green Beret. He and his wife Vicki were religious fundamentalists who distrusted the government and believed the end of the world was imminent. They started hoarding guns and made plans to move to a secluded area and live off the grid.Aug 21, 2018

Who owns Ruby Ridge today?

She and her husband, Marc, operate a quarter horse breeding ranch just outside of Kalispell. She has an 11-year-old son from her first marriage. Sara Weaver said Randy Weaver does not do interviews and would not release a statement on the anniversary. She has been back to Ruby Ridge, to the land her family still owns.Aug 20, 2012

How long did Randy Weaver serve?

He left it up for prison officials to decide how much of the 13 months Weaver has spent in prison should count toward his sentence. Defense attorney Gerry Spence said his client wasn't pleased, but there would be no appeal.

How old was Randy Weaver's son when he died?

14-year-oldWho was killed at Ruby Ridge? During the siege at Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver's wife, Vicki; his 14-year-old son, Sammy; and U.S. Marshal William Degan were killed.

Why was Samuel Weaver killed?

The teenager's death, Woodbury said, "has been determined to be a justifiable killing based on self-defense." The FBI sniper, Lon Horiuchi, killed Vicki Weaver on Aug.Aug 22, 1997

What was the Ruby Ridge incident?

Ruby Ridge was the location of an incident in which Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents and U.S. marshals engaged in an 11-day standoff wi...

Who shot Vicki Weaver?

Vicki Weaver was shot by Lon Horiuchi, a FBI sniper at Ruby Ridge. Horiuchi opened fire when he believed Randy Weaver and Harris were preparing to...

Who was killed at Ruby Ridge?

During the siege at Ruby Ridge, Randy Weaver’s wife, Vicki; his 14-year-old son, Sammy; and U.S. Marshal William Degan were killed.

What was Randy Weaver charged with?

Randy Weaver was charged with a host of crimes, including murder, conspiracy, and assault. He was convicted of failing to appear for the original f...

Where was the Ruby Ridge incident?

marshals engaged in an 11-day standoff with self-proclaimed white separatist Randy Weaver, his family, and a friend named Kevin Harris in an isolated cabin in Boundary County, Idaho.

Who was the woman who was shot in the face in the cabin?

Horiuchi fired a second shot, meant for Harris, as the men ran back into the cabin. The bullet struck Vicki Weaver in the face while she held her infant daughter behind the front door of the cabin and also injured Harris. Vicki Weaver died soon after, but her body remained in the cabin for 11 days.

How long did Vicki Weaver stay in the cabin?

Vicki Weaver died soon after, but her body remained in the cabin for 11 days. Weaver and Harris finally surrendered to the federal officers about a week later. They were charged with a host of crimes, including murder, conspiracy, and assault. An Idaho jury acquitted Harris of all charges.

What was Randy Weaver charged with?

Randy Weaver was charged with a host of crimes, including murder, conspiracy, and assault. He was convicted of failing to appear for the original firearms charge. Randy Weaver, a former U.S. Army engineer, moved with his family in 1983 to a cabin he built on Ruby Ridge, about 40 miles (65 km) from the Canadian border.

Why was Weaver convicted?

Weaver was convicted of failing to appear for the original firearms charge. An inquiry by the Justice Department criticized the FBI for failing to gather sufficient intelligence and for not ordering the residents of the cabin to surrender before engaging them in a firefight.

What was the charge against Horiuchi?

The inquiry further alleged that Horiuchi unnecessarily endangered others by firing at the door of the cabin. Nevertheless, the U.S. attorney general decided that criminal charges against Horiuchi were unwarranted. Prosecutors in Boundary county, Idaho, however, charged Horiuchi with involuntary manslaughter.

What happened to Sammy Weaver's dog?

marshals inside the Ruby Ridge property. One of them shot and killed the dog, which led to an exchange of fire with Sammy Weaver, who was shot in the back and killed. Harris also opened fire, killing Degan.

Who fired the shot in Ruby Ridge?

Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government, chaired by Arlen Specter, noted that the government's position at trial was that Cooper had fired the shot.

What episode is Ruby Ridge in Criminal Minds?

Ruby Ridge was the subject of Criminal Minds, Season Three, Episode entitled "Identity" (2007). Agent David Rossi says that he was at Ruby Ridge during the siege. In 2017, it was the focus of the 323rd episode of American Experience, the 5th episode of its 29th season .

Why was Idaho v. Horiuchi dismissed?

Horiuchi, was moved to federal court, which has jurisdiction over federal agents. It was dismissed because of the supremacy clause.

What episode of American Experience is Ruby Ridge?

Bill Kurtis hosts. PBS American Experience: "Ruby Ridge", episode S29E07, February 14, 2017.

What was the name of the TV show that was based on the book Every Knee Shall Bow?

A CBS miniseries about the Ruby Ridge incident, titled Ruby Ridge: An American Tragedy, aired on May 19 and 21, 1996. It was based on the book Every Knee Shall Bow by reporter Jess Walter. It starred Laura Dern as Vicki, Kirsten Dunst as Sara, and Randy Quaid as Randy. Later that year the television series was adapted as a full-length TV movie, The Siege at Ruby Ridge.

What is the RRTF?

The Department of Justice (DOJ) created the Ruby Ridge Task Force (RRTF) to investigate events. It delivered a 542-page report on June 10, 1994, to the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). (This RRTF report, originally available in a highly redacted form, became available in a much more complete form.

When did the Ruby Ridge siege end?

The Senate Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Government Information held fourteen days of hearings on these incidents and allegations of misconduct, ending on October 19, 1995.

How long did Barr serve as Attorney General?

That charitable work (for an FBI agent who already had a federally-paid law firm defending him) helped tamp down one of the biggest scandals during Barr’s time as Attorney General from 1991 to early 1993.

Who was the judge in the James Bond case?

When the Justice Department won an initial appeals court victory in the case in 2000, federal judge Alex Kozinski warned in a dissent of a new James Bond “007 standard for the use of deadly force” against American citizens. The same court reversed that decision the following year.

What did Barr do to help the FBI?

Barr spent two weeks organizing former Attorneys General and others to support “an FBI sniper in defending against criminal charges in connection with the Ruby Ridge incident.”. Barr also “assisted in framing legal arguments advanced… in the district court and the subsequent appeal to the Ninth Circuit,” he told the committee.

How much did the Justice Department pay for the Weaver family?

The Justice Department paid $3 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit from the Weaver family. But when Boundary County, Idaho filed criminal charges against Horiuchi, Barr sprang to action seeking immunity for FBI snipers.

What was Barr responsible for?

Barr was responsible for both the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, two federal agencies whose misconduct at Ruby Ridge “helped to weaken the bond of trust that must exist between ordinary Americans and our law enforcement agencies,” according to a 1995 Senate Judiciary Committee report.

What is Barr's view on Mueller?

The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for Attorney General nominee William Barr have focused heavily on Barr’s views on Special Counsel Robert Mueller. But nobody is asking about Barr’s legal crusade for blanket immunity for federal agents who killed American citizens. Barr received a routine questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee asking him ...

Who spent the most time helping the disadvantaged?

Barr received a routine questionnaire from the Judiciary Committee asking him to disclose his past work including pro bono activities “serving the disadvantaged.”. The “disadvantaged” that Barr spent the most time helping was an FBI agent who slayed an Idaho mother holding her baby in 1992.

Who is the attorney general who renounced his support for gun control?

The Second Amendment community has tried very hard to get members of the Judiciary Committee to persuade attorney general nominee William Barr to renounce his long-standing support for gun control.

Who pushed the gun control “grand bargain”?

Read more GOA in the News articles here. Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991, Barr pushed the gun control “grand bargain” which, two years later under Clinton, was to become the biggest blow to the Second Amendment since the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act.

What was Barr's chief priority?

Barr stated, under oath, that his chief gun priority would be the Ruby Ridge-like gun confiscation orders (sugar-coated as “red flag laws”).

When was the Barr Grand bargain passed?

But after I left the Senate to run for Congress in 1993 , the Barr “grand bargain” was passed during the first two years of the Clinton. administration. It turned out to be so controversial among gun owners that Democrats were ousted from control of the House as a result for the first time in a generation.

Did William Barr know about Ruby Ridge?

Courts subsequently largely exonerated Weaver, while excoriating the FBI and the Department of Justice. And, although then-Attorney General William Barr claimed to know nothing about the Ruby Ridge fiasco, a 1995 Washington Post article reported that there were 20 high-level DOJ calls about Weaver in the 24 hours preceding the murder ...

Where was the Ruby Ridge?

In August 1992, six marshals travelled to an area in . northern Idaho known as Ruby Ridge to conduct surveillance of the . Weaver residence in preparation for the undercover operation. During the surveillance mission, the Weaver dog discovered the .

When was Randy Weaver released from prison?

obey orders and admonitions of the court, and its indifference to . the rights of the defendant and to the administration of justice. On December 18, 1993 , Randy Weaver was released from .

When did Vicki Weaver die?

death of Vicki Weaver and wounding of Kevin Harris on August 22, . 1992, its handling of the crisis including its attempts to end . the week-long standoff, its handling of the crime scene searches . and its subsequent activities in assisting the USAO in preparing . the Weaver case for trial.

When was the Weaver & Harris trial completed?

was completed. In July 1993 , a jury acquitted Weaver and Harris of charges . stemming from the murder of a federal officer. Followin the g acquittal, numerous additional allegations were raised by defense .

What was the purpose of OPR?

its inception to the conclusion of the criminal trial. OPR was . to conduct this inquiry with investigative support from the FBI. On July 26, 1993, Michael E. Shaheen, Jr., Counsel in the . Office of Professional Responsibility detailed the role of OPR . and the FBI in the inquiry in a letter to David G. Binney, .

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Overview

Ruby Ridge was the site of an eleven-day siege in 1992 in Boundary County, Idaho, near Naples. It began on August 21, when deputies of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) initiated action to apprehend and arrest Randy Weaver under a bench warrant after his failure to appearon firearms charges. Given three conflicting dates for his court appearance, and suspecting a conspiracy again…

Geography

Ruby Ridge is the southernmost of four ridges that extend east from the Bottleneck/Roman Nose mountain range toward the Kootenai River. Caribou Ridge lies north of it, and the area between them drains into the Ruby Creek. Some local maps have identified Ruby Ridge as an extension of Caribou Ridge , but press reporting on the Weaver standoff used the federally recognized name. According to the Boundary County CourthouseAssessor's Office, both Ruby Ridge and Caribou Ri…

Development

Randy Weaver, a former Iowa factory worker and U.S. Army Green Beret, moved with his wife and four children to northern Idaho during the 1980s so they could "home-school his children and escape what he and his wife Vicki saw as a corrupted world." In 1978, Vicki, the religious leader of the family, began to have recurrent dreams of living on a mountaintop and believed that the apocalypsewas imminent. After the birth of their son, Samuel, the Weavers began selling their b…

Encounter near Weaver's cabin

On August 21, 1992, six Marshals were sent to scout the area to determine suitable places away from the cabin to apprehend and arrest Weaver. The marshals, dressed in military camouflage, were equipped with night-vision goggles and M16 rifles. DUSMs Art Roderick, Larry Cooper, and William F. "Bill" Degan formed the reconnaissance team, while DUSMs David Hunt, Joseph Thomas, and Frank Norris formed an observation post (OP) team on the ridge north of the cabin.

Siege and controversy

In the aftermath of the gunfight on August 21 at 11:20 am PDT, DUSM Hunt requested immediate support from Idaho law enforcement, and he also alerted the FBI by notifying it that a Marshal had been killed. Following Hunt's phone call, the Marshals Service Crisis Center was activated under the direction of Duke Smith, associate director for Operations. The Marshals Service Special Operations Group (SOG) was alerted to deploy. In response to the USMS call, the Boundary Coun…

Trials of Weaver and Harris

Weaver and Harris were charged with a variety of offenses; their trial in U.S. District Court in Boise began in April 1993, and was presided over by Judge Edward Lodge. Weaver's defense attorney, Gerry Spence, rested his case in mid-June without calling any witnesses for the defense, instead seeking to convince the jury through cross-examination aimed at discrediting government evidence and witnesses. Weaver was ultimately acquitted in July of all charges except missing h…

Federal investigations of law enforcement

Defense counsels for Weaver and Harris alleged throughout their 1993 trial that agents of the ATF, USMS, and FBI were themselves guilty of serious wrongdoing. The Department of Justice (DOJ) created the Ruby Ridge Task Force (RRTF) to investigate events. It delivered a 542-page report on June 10, 1994, to the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR). (This RRTF report, originally available in a highly redacted form, became available in a much more complete form. )

Aftermath: civil suits

Randy Weaver and his daughters filed a wrongful death suit for $200 million which was related to the killing of his wife and son. In an out-of-court settlement in August 1995, the federal government awarded Randy Weaver $100,000 and it also awarded $1 million to each of his three daughters. The government did not admit that it had committed any wrongdoing in the deaths of Sammy and Vicki. On the condition of anonymity, a DOJ official told the Washington Post that h…