PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – A federal judge has dropped one of three charges filed against the lawyer for the leader of the armed occupation at an Oregon wildlife refuge.
U.S District Judge John C. Coughenour also said in court Thursday he will decide, not a jury, on the other two charges.
Coughenour dismissed a charge that accused Marcus Mumford of creating a disturbance by impeding the official duties of government officers because it encompassed the same conduct alleged in the second count, failing to comply with official signs that prohibit the disruption of federal officers’ official work.
The incident in question occurred when Mumford’s client Ammon Bundy was acquitted last fall and Mumford was tackled by federal marshals for refusing to stop arguing with the judge.
Mumford is also charged with failure to comply with the lawful direction of a federal police officer.