Federal Marshals Arrest Gary Hunt

The latest development is that as of today on March 30^th of 2017, at approximately 12:30 pm PST, Gary Hunt was arrested by federal marshals at his home in Los Molinos, California. He was reported to have been transported to Sacramento, yet his extradition to Oregon is still under question.

According to the Sealed Order Granting Government’s Request for Arrest Warrant as to Gary Hunt & Order Sealing Arrest Warrant, which was filed back on March 10^th:

“On March 10, 2017, at 1:00 p.m., the Court convened the show-cause hearing, but Hunt failed to appear for that hearing, did not make a filing as directed, and has not otherwise contracted the Court. The Court, therefore finds it necessary to issue a warrant for Hunt’s arrest in order to bring him before this Court for his failure to appear at the show-cause hearing and to adjudicate civil contempt proceedings for violation of the Court’s Protective Order (#342) and Supplement to Protective Order (#1692). On this record, therefore, the Court GRANTS the government’s request for an arrest warrant as to Gary Hunt, and the Court will issue the warrant without delay.”

Notice that although Judge Brown signed this arrest warrant back on the 10th, it wasn’t executed until today on the 30th. Were the marshals backlogged with all the fugitives they’ve been hunting, or were they spending almost two weeks scouting Los Molinos in order to prevent a journalist from escaping their clutches?

It has now come to light that Gary Hunt received a call from Agent Catalano notifying him he had a warrant for his arrest. By the time the marshals arrived at his home, Hunt was already waiting outside with nothing in either his hands or pockets. As they began to handcuff him behind his back, Hunt asked the marshals that given he was turning himself in, would they mind terribly if they handcuffed him with his hands in front, and they obliged, albeit with leg irons. There was no search of his home and no seizure of his computers or personal belongings.

Hunt was transported 120 miles to Sacramento,…