From: [a--ur--n] at [cup.portal.com] (A T Furman)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns,alt.politics.libertarian
Subject: Waco trial/FIJA breaches the Star Chamber
Date: 21 Jan 94 11:39:43 GMT

Crossposted from Libernet.  Note especially the last few paragraphs.
======================= forwarded text ===============================
Date: 19 Jan 94 19:23:00 UT

Excerpts from _The Dallas Morning News_, Wed 19 Jan 94:

p. 29A

RENO SAYS HOLISTIC APPROACH IS NEEDED IN WAR ON CRIME

Continued from Page 25A

        "Outside the hotel, dozens of protesters lined Market Center 
Boulevard, carrying banners and signs and shouting at passing cars through
bullhorns.
        "Many said they were there to protest Ms. Reno's decision last April 
to launch a tear-gas assault on the Branch Davidian cult complex during a
standoff outside Waco.  At least 80 people, 25 of them children, died when the
compound burned.
        "'We feel that Janet Reno should have to stand trial for ordering the
destruction of Texas citizens,' said David Hall, a member of Associated 
Conservatives of Texas.  'To burn innocent children is a felony.'"
______________________________________________________________________________

p. 30A

AGENT ACKNOWLEDGES CHANGING STORY ON RAID
HE TESTIFIES HE ERRED IN SAYING ATF FIRED FIRST

        "During almost 4 1/2 hours of cross-examination, Agent Ballesteros 
acknowledged that ATF agents never considered trying a peaceful execution of
the search and arrest warrants and knew as they approached that they had lost
the element of surprise.
        "Defense attorneys also grilled the agent about what they termed 
inconsistencies in statements he gave on Feb 28, Mar 10 and Sep 30 about the
raid.
        "The agent acknowledged adding several details in his daylong trial
testimony that he did not give in prior statements to local police, to Texas
Rangers and even in pretrial testimony to US District Judge Walter Smith.
        "The new details included describing how he yelled 'search warrant' 
and approached Mr Koresh.  They also included the sect leader's reaction to 
him and how he believed that the sect ambushed ATF agents.  Also new was the
description of voices yelling: 'Get that SOB off the porch.'
        "He may not have told Texas Rangers who interviewed him Mar 10 some
details of what happened because, he said: 'I was under medication ... I'm not
making excuses.  I guess I just couldn't remember everything at the time.'
        "He also acknowledged to defense attorneys that his superiors lied to
ATF officials in Washington about what happened, and he said the agency did 
not follow its own written procedures in investigating the incident.
	[And now for the good stuff...]
        "Also Tuesday, Judge Smith announced that five jurors had received
improper contacts by mail from a group called the 'Fully Informed Jury 
Association.'
        "He cautioned jurors not to read anything from the group, which tried
to hand out pamphlets to potential jurors before the trial began.  The 
pamphlets urge jurors to vote their consciences and instructs [sic] them that
they have the right to acquit defendants if the jurors consider the laws 
broken unjust.
        "Judge Smith had ordered the names of jurors kept secret."
______________________________________________________________________________
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