Published: 06.25.2006

Anti-crosser activists cleared of trespassing at monastery
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
An anti-illegal-immigrant activist and his wife and brother have been cleared in a lawsuit alleging they trespassed on a monastery's ranch to detain immigrants.
Roger, Barbara and Donald Barnett were sued by the caretaker of the ranch for a 2003 incident where they detained 30 men, women and children immigrants at a well.
A Cochise County Superior Court jury in Bisbee took less than 15 minutes to clear them Friday.
Summerland Monastery caretaker Donald Mackenzie brought the suit. He said he thought the Barnett men were with the Border Patrol because they wore law enforcement outfits and left the immigrants in their care.
Roger Barnett owns a ranch near Douglas and claims he's made citizen's arrests of more than 12,000 illegal immigrants since 1996. He said he became frustrated with hundreds of illegal immigrants crossing his ranch and began making arrests.
He still faces a November trial in a second suit filed by a Douglas family who allege he detained them at gunpoint while they were out hunting.
In the case that ended Friday, the Barnetts argued they had been welcome guests on the monastery property, wore civilian clothing, and led the migrants to the well because they were dehydrated and needed water.
Mackenzie lawyer Romo Vejar said it was clear the Barnetts were not authorized to come on the property to chase migrants.

http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/135204