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
.