S.J. Quinney College of Law professor John Ruple was quote in the January 17, 2016 issue of The Joplin Globe in a story titled, “Federal ownership of western lands never in doubt despite militia claims.” He was also quoted in the January 30, 2016 edition of The Christian Science Monitor.
Ruple said: “Federal ownership of the West came first, and states cannot demand that the federal government ‘give back’ to them that which never belonged to them.” What’s more, despite calling themselves Citizens for Constitutional Freedom and carrying around pocket copies of the U.S. Constitution, that document makes it clear that the occupiers do not have the law on their side, according to Ruple.