By KARINA BROWN

(CN) — A government lawyer in the case against wildlife refugee occupiers told a Ninth Circuit panel that criminal defendants could benefit from facing multiple federal cases at the same time.

Five defendants — Ryan and Ammon Bundy, Ryan Payne, Bryan Cavalier and Blaine Cooper — are challenging the fairness of facing simultaneous charges in Oregon over the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and in Nevada over the 2014 standoff between the government and self-styled "patriots" who sought to prevent the seizure of cows from Cliven Bundy's Bunkerville ranch ...

Both cases have been declared complex because of the number of defendants, the seriousness of the charges and the enormous volume of evidence collected by the government ...

"Rather than being prejudiced, the common defendants in this case were benefitted," Gorder said. "They now have attorneys in both districts who can talk to each other. They can collaborate on their strategies. They can look for witnesses that are helpful in both cases" ...

http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/06/16/bundy-prosecutor-fights-efforts-to-postpone-trial.htm