By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
Gubernatorial candidate Ammon Bundy appeared in court Wednesday representing himself on accusations of contempt of court.
Ada County Magistrate Judge Annie McDevitt informed Bundy of his right to an attorney, but he said he wanted to represent himself. When asked if he admitted or denied the contempt, Bundy said “neither.”
This case stems from Bundy’s prior trespassing incident during the Legislature’s special session on Aug. 25, 2020, when he refused to leave the Lincoln Auditorium at the Statehouse. A jury later convicted him of trespassing and resisting arrest, both misdemeanors.
On July 1, 2021, Magistrate Judge David Manweiler sentenced Bundy to 40 hours of community service, in lieu of additional jail time. Manweiler required Bundy to complete the service within six months. Bundy previously tried to claim in court that his campaigning for public office should count as community service. Prosecutors disagree.
The judge scheduled an April 7 evidentiary hearing on the contempt accusations.
The incident in this case isn’t Bundy’s only run-in with police for trespassing. Last week, a jury convicted Bundy for trespassing and resisting officers for a separate April 2021 incident at the statehouse. He most recently faced arrest for accusations of trespassing at St. Luke’s hospital in Meridian.
On Wednesday, Bundy was not in police custody.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
