Synopsis
It started as day trip to Burns, Oregon …. When Ammon Bundy and his followers took over a bird refuge in Oregon, Scott Klatt tossed his cameras in the car and drove 6 hours to check it out. I mean who wouldn’t? Armed militants take over a wildlife refuge in the middle of nowhere... sounds like fun, right? The plan was to shoot some video and maybe get an interview for a small film project. The little day trip turned into something quite different. As he learned more about the standoff leaders and followers, Klatt found himself falling down a rabbit hole. Do you know what a Constitutional Sheriff is? How about a Sovereign Citizen? Klatt had no clue when he showed up in Burns. Things quickly got bizarre and confusing for the minor league filmmaker. Strange conspiracy theories seemed to be more prevalent than land use policy and ranchers’ rights. After the 41-day standoff was over, the action switched to the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon. No cameras are allowed in federal court, so Klatt altered his approach and became a courtroom alt-sketch artist to follow the case. The only problem was he had never really drawn before. Two and a half years later, the former stand-up comic releases “bundy, et al” a book that documents the court proceedings for both Oregon trials and the Nevada leadership trial, using his odd brand of humor and amateurish courtroom sketches from a new born artist. "You had to be there" is an overused phrase, but those who witnessed the court proceedings for the Oregon Standoff trials have just cause to use it. One of the strangest trials in federal court history. 26 defendants, many who choose to represent themselves inside of a courtroom that they did not believe was legitimate. All the while battling a judicial system not allowed to judge them on their beliefs. In the end there is a shocking verdict and the winning defense attorney gets tackled and tasered by the US Marshals. The book is not just drawings and jokes. Klatt gives detailed background on the groups that took part, including militias, right-wing politicians, and extreme religious movements. There are also several interviews with defense attorneys who took part in the case. Defense Attorney Matt Schindler: “Days of the trial would go by and you would sort of walk out of there and say, ‘what the Hell just happened? Was there testimony today? Was I in a trial?” Klatt also interviews juror #11 form the first trial, who was dramatically removed during deliberations. QUESTION: “What did you think of Ammon Bundy on the stand?” Juror 11: “He lied his ass off!!” The book “bundy, et al” is a strange mix of humor and serious timely topics. The only thing stranger were the trials themselves. Scott Klatt is a former stand-up comic from rural Washington County, Oregon. He was a dyslexic failure in English class, who never set out to write a book. After sitting in federal court for over two years, “bundy, et al” may be the most comprehensive historical document of the Bundy trial proceedings outside of the court transcripts themselves.
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