DATE=1/8/98

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-225001

TITLE=UNABOMBER TRIAL  (L)

BYLINE=GREG FLAKUS

DATELINE=LOS ANGELES

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:  THE UNABOMBER TRIAL IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA IS ON HOLD 

ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE OF A LAST-MINUTE REQUEST BY DEFENDANT THEODORE

KACZYNSKI TO SERVE AS HIS OWN ATTORNEY.  AS VOA'S GREG FLAKUS 

REPORTS FROM OUR WEST COAST BUREAU IN LOS ANGELES, AT ISSUE IS MR

KACZYNSKI'S MENTAL COMPETENCY.



TEXT:   AFTER SENDING THE JURY HOME FOR THE DAY, U-S DISTRICT 

JUDGE GARLAND BURRELL, JUNIOR, SCHEDULED A HEARING TO DETERMINE 

WHETHER THEODORE KACZYNSKI IS MENTALLY COMPETENT TO SERVE AS HIS 

OWN ATTORNEY.   MR KACZYNSKI MADE THE REQUEST TO DISMISS HIS 

COURT-APPOINTED ATTORNEYS BECAUSE HE OBJECTS TO THEIR STRATEGY OF

PORTRAYING HIM AS MENTALLY ILL.



JUDGE BURRELL QUESTIONED THE TIMING OF MR KACZYNSKI'S REQUEST, 

NOTING THAT AS RECENTLY AS WEDNESDAY, THE DEFENDANT HAD INDICATED

THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO SERVE AS HIS OWN ATTORNEY.  STILL, THE 

JUDGE SUGGESTED THAT HE MIGHT RULE MR KACZYNSKI COMPETENT AND 

ALLOW HIM TO REPRESENT HIMSELF. 



LEAD DEFENSE ATTORNEY QUIN DENVIR WAS PREPARING A DEFENSE BASED 

ON SAVING MR KACZYNSKI FROM THE DEATH PENALTY BY PRESENTING 

EVIDENCE THAT HE IS MENTALLY ILL.



JUDGE BURRELL ALSO INDICATED THAT HE MIGHT ORDER DEFENSE 

ATTORNEYS TO DROP THAT STRATEGY IN ORDER TO PROCEED WITH THE 

TRIAL.  MR DENVIR, HOWEVER, OBJECTED STRONGLY TO THAT IDEA.



THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS WEEK THAT THE UNABOMBER TRIAL HAS 

BEEN DISRUPTED BY THE DEFENDANT'S UNEXPECTED REQUESTS.  ON 

MONDAY, OPENING STATEMENTS WERE DELAYED WHEN MR KACZYNSKI ASKED 

FOR PERMISSION TO ADDRESS THE COURT.  THE HARVARD-EDUCATED 

MATHEMATICIAN IS FACING A TEN-COUNT INDICTMENT FOR FOUR BOMBINGS 

THAT KILLED TWO MEN IN CALIFORNIA AND MAIMED TWO OTHERS.  

(SIGNED)



NEB/GF/KL



08-Jan-98 2:28 PM EST (1928 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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