When St. Luke’s initiated legal action – Lawfare against Ammon Bundy in Idaho.
How Baby Cyrus Brought Ammon Bundy into the Cross-Hairs of St. Luke's.
As seven-and-a-half-month-old Baby Cyrus transitioned from breastfeeding, Marissa and Levi grew concerned by his persistent difficulty in tolerating solid food. Their worry led them to seek medical advice. When their initial doctor couldn't pinpoint the cause of the problem, they proactively sought the expertise of specialists.
March 2022 brought another bout of vomiting for Cyrus, prompting a trip to the hospital. During the visit, the medical team observed that he had lost weight. They requested a follow-up appointment to monitor this. However, when the hospital called to reschedule, Marissa, who was feeling under the weather herself, unfortunately missed their call.
With no further communication, the hospital proceeded to report a case of neglect to Child Protective Services (CPS), who subsequently involved law enforcement. As Marissa and Levi were driving home, their vehicle was surrounded by police at a gas station, and Levi was detained.
Despite Marissa's attempts to explain the missed follow-up and her tearful requests to stay with Cyrus, the officers gave her a false assurance that she could ride with him in the ambulance. However, this promise was broken when an officer informed Marissa that Cyrus was being taken into state custody. Her desperate pleas to remain with her son went unheeded as Cyrus was forcibly taken from her arms. Only after the ambulance departed with Cyrus were Levi and Marissa released.
The day after Cyrus was taken, family and friends gathered in protest at the hospital, their voices united in demanding his return. This public outcry, amplified by political pressure, led to the hospital releasing Baby Cyrus.
It was at this point that St. Luke’s initiated legal action – a move that would become known as the Lawfare – against Ammon Bundy in Idaho.
Bryan Hyde looked back on the case a year after it all began as St. Luke's Health System initially sought $50,000 in their defamation lawsuit against Ammon Bundy.
What began as a relatively modest legal action has ballooned over three years into a major battle, with St. Luke's ultimately pursuing over $50 million dollars.
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