Martin Bell

As I understand it, the reason why the lawyer, a lovely man named Robert Painter, was representing the Mongolian government is because he'd met the president of Mongolia at a party and given him his business card. And, you know, as one does, you just wait for the call at that point. That party,

As I understand it, the reason why the lawyer, a lovely man named Robert Painter, was representing the Mongolian government is because he'd met the president of Mongolia at a party and given him his business card. And, you know, as one does, you just wait for the call at that point. That party,

wasn't somebody who was used to stopping dinosaur auctions, in part because no lawyer is used to stopping dinosaur auctions, but in part because he was a personal injury lawyer from Texas who was representing the Mongolian government in this case. Sharon, my boss, Babe Ruth of Forfeiture, reads about this and calls Robert

wasn't somebody who was used to stopping dinosaur auctions, in part because no lawyer is used to stopping dinosaur auctions, but in part because he was a personal injury lawyer from Texas who was representing the Mongolian government in this case. Sharon, my boss, Babe Ruth of Forfeiture, reads about this and calls Robert

wasn't somebody who was used to stopping dinosaur auctions, in part because no lawyer is used to stopping dinosaur auctions, but in part because he was a personal injury lawyer from Texas who was representing the Mongolian government in this case. Sharon, my boss, Babe Ruth of Forfeiture, reads about this and calls Robert

And Robert says, yeah, I stopped this auction from happening, which is great. I have no idea what to do next. And Sharon told him, and I could imagine her smiling on the phone as she does this, oh, I do. So we put together the beginnings of some court papers, a seizure warrant, and some other items that could make the claim that this was stolen property.

And Robert says, yeah, I stopped this auction from happening, which is great. I have no idea what to do next. And Sharon told him, and I could imagine her smiling on the phone as she does this, oh, I do. So we put together the beginnings of some court papers, a seizure warrant, and some other items that could make the claim that this was stolen property.

And Robert says, yeah, I stopped this auction from happening, which is great. I have no idea what to do next. And Sharon told him, and I could imagine her smiling on the phone as she does this, oh, I do. So we put together the beginnings of some court papers, a seizure warrant, and some other items that could make the claim that this was stolen property.

In order to successfully seize something and ultimately forfeit it, it's got to be stolen property. How is a dinosaur fossil stolen property? Mongolia has very, very strict cultural patrimony laws, those laws that protect items of cultural importance to a particular government. And when you think cultural importance, you usually think it's a statue. or something that some ancient tribe made.

In order to successfully seize something and ultimately forfeit it, it's got to be stolen property. How is a dinosaur fossil stolen property? Mongolia has very, very strict cultural patrimony laws, those laws that protect items of cultural importance to a particular government. And when you think cultural importance, you usually think it's a statue. or something that some ancient tribe made.

In order to successfully seize something and ultimately forfeit it, it's got to be stolen property. How is a dinosaur fossil stolen property? Mongolia has very, very strict cultural patrimony laws, those laws that protect items of cultural importance to a particular government. And when you think cultural importance, you usually think it's a statue. or something that some ancient tribe made.

The Temple of Dendur in the Met is an item of cultural importance. But increasingly, various sovereigns had considered natural things that once upon a time would have been looted by foreign governments to be protected items of cultural patrimony too.

The Temple of Dendur in the Met is an item of cultural importance. But increasingly, various sovereigns had considered natural things that once upon a time would have been looted by foreign governments to be protected items of cultural patrimony too.

The Temple of Dendur in the Met is an item of cultural importance. But increasingly, various sovereigns had considered natural things that once upon a time would have been looted by foreign governments to be protected items of cultural patrimony too.

I think it's fair to say that this was one of the first really big cases, in part because it's rare that you get a near-complete Tyrannosaurus Batara skeleton. I should say, I've mentioned the Tyrannosaurus Batara thing before. We're used to the Tyrannosaurus Rex in sort of the popular imagination.

I think it's fair to say that this was one of the first really big cases, in part because it's rare that you get a near-complete Tyrannosaurus Batara skeleton. I should say, I've mentioned the Tyrannosaurus Batara thing before. We're used to the Tyrannosaurus Rex in sort of the popular imagination.

I think it's fair to say that this was one of the first really big cases, in part because it's rare that you get a near-complete Tyrannosaurus Batara skeleton. I should say, I've mentioned the Tyrannosaurus Batara thing before. We're used to the Tyrannosaurus Rex in sort of the popular imagination.

Dinosaurs and their relatives.

Dinosaurs and their relatives.

Dinosaurs and their relatives.