"The wrong people are in jail," Bundy testified during an unusual, six-hour detention hearing at which the rancher's son, who has been incarcerated for a year, argued for his release pending trial on extortion, conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States, and other charges resulting from the April 2014 confrontation.

The hearing began with a 90-minute statement from Bundy in which he declared America a "union of sovereign states," and denounced a "totalitarian" government. It included hours of bickering between Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Myrhe and Bundy, who in deciding to testify subjected himself to cross-examination by the government. It ended — after tearful testimony from Bundy's wife about his kindness — with Bundy playing a video about the standoff published by Alex Jones's Infowars website.

U.S. Magistrate Judge George Foley did not immediately rule on Bundy's request for pretrial release, and said he would issue a written ruling later.

Bundy, who is representing himself, appeared in court Friday dressed in a blue prison jumpsuit and smiled at his wife and eight children sitting in the front row.