The fundraising website GoFundMe has seemingly picked a side in the ongoing legal case involving a rancher who is accused of killing an illegal immigrant who crossed onto his land.
The site has removed multiple pages that were set up to support and raise money for the embattled Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, who is currently being held in jail on a $1 million bond.
According to the Daily Mail, GoFundMe removed the fundraisers due to its policy of not defending those accused of “violent crime.”
Kelly, 73, committed the alleged crime on Jan. 30 when illegal immigrant Gabriel Cuen-Butimea was shot and killed on Kelly’s land near Nogales, Arizona.
Defenders of Kelly have pointed out that he has had issues with illegal aliens trekking across his ranch before and are pleading with the court to lower his bond.
The elderly rancher has tried to fight for his release so that he could aid his wife in tending to their livestock, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Supporters of Kelly have turned to the website GiveSendGo to raise money for his bond.
GiveSendGo co-founder Heather Wilson told Fox News, “This is exactly why GiveSendGo exists. To allow people to have a voice and gain support in times of need.”
The site has a track record of being more lenient on controversial cases and is less likely to remove pages, unlike GoFundMe.
So far his court-appointed lawyer has yet to take steps to lower his bond or secure a release from custody until his next court date, according to the Daily Mail.
While Arizona law allows stand-your-ground and trespassing laws for personal and property defense, Kelly’s lawyer Brenna Larkin instead filed a two-week delay.
She cited the size of the case as the reason for the delay, claiming she needs more time to prepare for the upcoming trial where Kelly is being charged with first-degree murder.
During a Jan. 31 hearing, Kelly requested a lowering of his bond so that he could help his wife with the business of the ranch.
“She’s there by herself… nobody to take care of her, the livestock, or the ranch. And I’m not going anywhere. I can’t come up with a million dollars,” Kelly pleaded.
“Would you consider reducing it to any degree?”
The judge refused, saying that his lawyer must make the formal request, which has yet to be done.
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