Justice is Served - Meet the Proud, New Arizona Ranchers - from El Salvador

Three border crossers have been awarded damages including a 70-acre ranch located in Douglas, Arizona. The land owner/vigilante extremist, Casey Nethercott - who is currently serving five years in prison because he was found guilty of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm lost the civil law-suit filed against him by two of the three border crossers that he and his vigilante buddies detained. Blogger, David Niewert over at Orcinus wrote a detailed article about the incident back in September 2004. You can review it here. Nethercott along with two other ranchers who were patrolling the border confronted the three border crossers took it upon themselves to detain the border crossers and give them an 'American' welcome of sorts that included a complimentary pistol whipping for the male.

Nethercott was taken into custody under an Arizona Governor's Warrant issued by Janet Napolitano. He was then extradited to Texas for trial. Curiously however, the Hebronville, Texas jury that convicted Nethercott of the firearms charge was deadlocked on the assault charge.

After Nethercott's criminal trial and sentencing, a civil lawsuit was filed on behalf of Edwin Alfredo Mancia-Gonzales and Fatima del Socorro Leiva-Medina by Morris Dees Jr. - famed attorney and founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center - who represented them as legal counsel. Mancia-Gonzales and Levia-Medina are from El Salvador. The two claimed they were detained against their will and that Nethercott actually pistol-whipped Mancia-Gonzales.

Also named in the lawsuit was Jack Foote, founder of the vigilante group, 'Ranch Rescue' along with Joe & Betty Sutton the ranchers who allowed the Ranch Rescue goon squad to enter their property and attack the El Salvadorans. Joe and who settled for $100,000 in order to get them out of the lawsuit. Neither Nethercott nor Foote represented themselves in court. However, Nethercott attempted to thwart the process by signing ownership of his ranch over to his sister. She quickly relinquished the property after the exchange of ownership was challenged and she faced a lawsuit over the transfer. The Arizona ranch is valued at $120,000.

While the Latin American couple plan to eventually sell the property, they are considering utilizing it as a sanctuary for visitors that might be travelling through the area - what a fitting end for a ranch that Nethercott had converted to a paramilitary training ground for Ranch Rescue vigilantes.

In all, the judgment against Torre Jack Foote was $500,000. This photo is featured on a web site seeking funding for Foote's legal defense. This picture, taken in 2003 identifies the loopy man in military attire and playing 'soldier' as Jack Foote, apparently on 'patrol' in Crestone, Colorado - apparently in search of illegal immigrants. Colorado is 370 miles north of the Mexico-US border.

The aviator gloves combined with the khaki uniform and lack of body armor are a dead give away this yutz is not a real soldier. The Native American teepee in the background also seems ironic considering these extremists don't like indigenous people.

If kooks like Foote and Nethercott weren't so militant - and armed - these dopes might seem as harmless as they are funny. This weekend warrior variety of cowardly chickenhawks finds it far more exhilirating to protect America by chasing phantom illegal aliens high in the Rocky Mountains of the United States over being real, red-blooded American soldiers.

Consider the advantages; it's fun, they get to hang around fellow bigots, it requires no discipline and the odds of developing a blister on their toes is far more desirable than being blown to smithereens - or getting shot at or mamed - in Iraq.

Nethercott's damages were deemed to be $850,000.

Speaking of the half wits who are out terrorizing border-crossers, Dees said, "When we got into this case, ranchers all along the border were allowing these types to come on their property. Now, they're very leery of it, especially when they see someone losing their ranch because of it."

Justice has been served and the bigots lost this one. Maybe this judgment will get the message across to those who consider it their God-given right to beat and terrorize people of color. Hopefully it will serve to curb the welcoming committees' over-zealous efforts to greet border-crossers with weapons and violence. It just goes to show that for those domestic terrorists - who drape themselves in the American flag and forget the minor details in their Constitution - it is never too late for a civics lesson.