-Caveat Lector-

Monday, March 26, 2001

Ex-McVeigh Attorney May Testify

<http://news.findlaw.com/ap/o/1110/3-26-2001/20010326154803780.html>

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Timothy McVeigh's former lead trial lawyer said he is
willing to testify against Oklahoma City bombing co-conspirator Terry
Nichols if McVeigh tries to take sole responsibility for the deadly attack.
Stephen Jones spoke to The Sunday Oklahoman about his concerns over an
upcoming biography, "American Terrorist: Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma
City Bombing," which he expects will play down Nichols' role in the April
1995 bombing that killed 168 people.
If prosecutors subpoena him in the pending state murder case against
Nichols, Jones said, he would not object. Nichols already has been
convicted in a federal trial of the bombing conspiracy.
"I would say that any statement that Tim McVeigh acted alone is false. I
will answer any questions put to me," Jones said.
Jones said he has not read the biography, which was written by two
reporters who spent 75 hours with McVeigh. But he told the Oklahoman that
he believes the book, due out next week, will claim "that no one else was
criminally involved, specifically Michael Fortier and Terry Nichols, and
that if they did anything to assist it was only because they were duped or
manipulated ... or they didn't know what they were doing."
Attorneys for Nichols are aware of the new book and may seek a videotaped
statement from McVeigh to use on Nichols' behalf in his state murder trial,
the newspaper reported. McVeigh is scheduled to be executed in May. Nichols
has already been convicted in federal court of conspiracy and sentenced to
life. Fortier pleaded guilty to failing to report bombing scheme and lying
to investigators and is serving a 12-year sentence.
Jones said he believes usual attorney-client privilege _ which prohibits
attorneys from disclosing what defendants tell them _ no longer applies in
the case.
McVeigh had a falling-out with Jones after the 1997 federal trial and last
year sought a new trial on grounds that Jones was incompetent and
unethical. Jones said McVeigh gave up the right to confidentiality by
making the attack.
"I felt my work spoke for myself and I didn't need to defend myself. This
is different. ...  It is an attempt to influence judicial proceedings by
making false statements to reporters who will repeat those false statements.
"If I remain silent, my silence could be taken ... as condoning what he has
said and I can't do that," Jones said.
"McVeigh is putting me in that position," Jones said. "He has waived the
attorney-client privilege. I'm just any other citizen served a subpoena."
Meanwhile, in a series of letters to be published in the May issue of
Esquire magazine, McVeigh berates Oklahoma County District Attorney Bob
Macy for continuing to pursue state charges after the federal trial and
describes bombing survivors as the "'woe-is me' crowd."
"I am so sick of hearing 'Bozo' brag about how he's going to press state
charges," he wrote in a letter on April 2, 1998. "He is really milking it
for all it's worth, and the taxpayers of Oklahoma are the ones who will end
up sucked dry. Macy is a punk.
"Listen ... I have nothing against the citizens of Oklahoma (except the
continuing 'woe-is-me' crowd), and I hate to have to use them as 'funding
pawns' in a game with Macy and I _ but if Macy persists, I will engage him."
McVeigh also calls the FBI "wizards at propaganda," saying agents
manipulated the facts of the fire that killed members of the Branch
Davidian sect near Waco, Texas, in 1993. Prosecutors have said the bombing,
which happened on the second anniversary of the fire, was in part a
retaliation for it.
"The public never saw the Davidians' home video of their cute babies,
adorable children, loving mothers, or protective fathers," McVeigh wrote in
one letter. "...
Therefore, they didn't care when these families died a slow, torturous
death at the hands of the FBI."
The letters, none of which directly addressed the Oklahoma City bombing,
were part of McVeigh's two-year correspondence with Phil Bacharach, former
reporter for the Oklahoma Gazette. The reporter said it was an unwritten
rule that he never asked McVeigh about his role in the attack.

<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please!  These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.

Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
 <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>

http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
 <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]

Om

Reply via email to