Judge axes Malheur Refuge standoff juror

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A judge overseeing the trial of seven defendants who took over a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon has dismissed a juror after questions arose about his impartiality during deliberations.

U.S. District Judge Anna Brown in Portland dismissed the juror Wednesday and replaced him with an alternate.

The jury will not resume deliberations until Thursday because the alternate must travel to Portland from Central Oregon.

Another juror sent a note Tuesday stating the now-dismissed juror had declared he was “very biased” during deliberations.

Brown says the juror is a man who worked for the Bureau of Land Management 20 years ago.

The BLM is under the same federal umbrella as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

Ammon Bundy and six others staged a 41-day armed takeover of the refuge in January.

Marcus Mumford, the attorney Ammon Bundy, said in the motion filed early Wednesday that if Juror No. 11 was not dismissed, the court should declare a mistrial.