Arizona bill would let rancher who owes $60,000 off the hook
By “this and that”, he must mean “having guns pointed at them”, “being threatened with death”, you know, that sort of thing. Silly.PHOENIX - The Arizona House of Representatives is considering a measure that would prohibit anyone in this country illegally from collecting punitive damages after winning a lawsuit.
Voters already approved a constitutional amendment doing precisely that in 2006 - two years too late for Cochise County rancher Roger Barnett, who was sued following a 2004 incident when 16 illegal immigrants said the rancher illegally imprisoned them. Barnett was the prime beneficiary, and motivating force, of the law.
HB 2191, the new measure, would make the ballot amendment retroactive to the start of 2004.
If it survives the legislative process - and if it is found legal - the change could save Barnett $60,000, the amount of punitive damages four of the plaintiffs were awarded two years ago. Rep. Jim Weiers, R-Phoenix, said that’s exactly what he has in mind.
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“How incredibly silly that you’ve got people breaking the law, trespassing, doing this and that on personal property, and then you’re handed punitive damage awards,” he said.
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To read more about Barnett’s crime, look here.