DATE=8/14/97
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-218561
TITLE=MCVEIGH/SENTENCING (L)
BYLINE=GREG FLAKUS
DATELINE=LOS ANGELES
CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  IN DENVER, CONVICTED OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBER TIMOTHY MCVEIGH
CAME BEFORE FEDERAL JUDGE RICHARD MATSCH ON THURSDAY TO BE 
FORMALLY SENTENCED TO DEATH.  AS V-O-A'S GREG FLAKUS REPORTS FROM
OUR WEST COAST BUREAU, THE CONVICTED TERRORIST IS NOW SEEKING A 
NEW LEAD ATTORNEY TO APPEAL HIS CONVICTION.

TEXT:  BEFORE BEING SENTENCED TO DEATH BY LETHAL INJECTION, 
TIMOTHY MCVEIGH MADE A BRIEF ORAL STATEMENT TO JUDGE MATSCH, 
QUOTING THE LATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE LOUIS BRANDEIS.  HERE IS 
THE QUOTE-- "OUR GOVERNMENT IS THE HOPE AND OMNIPOTENT TEACHER 
FOR GOOD OR ILL.  IT TEACHES THE PEOPLE BY EXAMPLE."

LEGAL EXPERTS WERE SOMEWHAT PUZZLED BY MCVEIGH'S USE OF THE 
QUOTATION, ALTHOUGH SOME, WHO READ FURTHER FROM THE BRANDEIS TEXT
FROM WHICH THE QUOTE WAS TAKEN, SAID THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN AN 
ATTEMPT BY MCVEIGH TO JUSTIFY THE BOMBING.  JUSTICE BRANDEIS HAD 
WARNED THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT VIOLATES THE LAW, THEN PEOPLE MIGHT
TAKE THE LAW INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.  

THE MAN WHO SERVED AS LEAD PROSECUTOR IN MCVEIGH'S TRIAL, JOSEPH 
HARTZLER, TOLD REPORTERS OUTSIDE THE DENVER FEDERAL COURT 
BUILDING THAT MCVEIGH'S STATEMENT SHOULD BE IGNORED.  HE SAID 
MCVEIGH HAD HAD A FAIR TRIAL AND HAD NOW BEEN GIVEN A JUST 
SENTENCE.

IN A LETTER TO JUDGE MATSCH, MCVEIGH REQUESTED THAT THE COURT 
APPOINT A NEW LEAD ATTORNEY FOR THE APPEALS PROCESS WHICH WILL 
NOW BEGIN.   IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A BUFFALO, NEW YORK NEWSPAPER, 
MCVEIGH CRITICIZED HIS LEAD ATTORNEY, STEPHEN JONES, SAYING HE 
HAD BUNGLED THE CASE.

MR JONES, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THE SENTENCING, SAID THAT 
HE HAD BEEN APPOINTED BY THE COURT AND WOULD COMPLY WITH ANY 
DECISION BY THE COURT AS TO HIS CONTINUING TO SERVE.

                       ///  JONES ACT  ///

         I DID NOT SEEK THIS APPOINTMENT.  I DO NOT SEEK TO BE 
         APPOINTED ON APPEAL. I AM A DRAFTEE.  IF THE COURT 
         WISHES ME TO CONTINUE, I WILL DO SO.  IF THE COURT 
         WISHES TO APPOINT SOMEONE ELSE, THAT IS THEIR DISCRETION
         AND I WILL CHEERFULLY ABIDE BY WHATEVER DECISION THEY 
         MAKE.

                         /// END ACT ///

MR JONES ALSO DENIED HAVING LIED TO HIS CLIENT, ANOTHER CLAIM 
MADE BY MCVEIGH IN THE NEWSPAPER INTERVIEW.   MCVEIGH'S 
ATTORNEYS, INCLUDING MR JONES, HAVE ALREADY FILED APPEALS OF BOTH
THE CONVICTION AND THE DEATH SENTENCE AND THE APPEALS PROCESS 
WILL PROBABLY TAKE MANY MONTHS, IF NOT YEARS.  (SIGNED)



NEB/GF/ENE/PT

14-Aug-97 3:09 PM EDT (1909 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.