Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
From: [c r philli] at [hound.dazixca.ingr.com] (Ron Phillips)
Subject: Randy Weaver Trail - Day 25
Date: Tue, 25 May 1993 18:19:51 GMT

This was posted to the firearms-politics mailing list by
Drew Betz.
====================================================================
From: Idaho_Survivalist <[R P SBETZ] at [idbsu.idbsu.edu]>
Subject:      Randy Weaver trial update: Day 25.
To: [firearms politics] at [cs.cmu.edu]

Note: These trial updates are summarized from reports in the
_Idaho Statesman_ and the local NBC affiliate television
station, KTVB Channel 7.

Randy Weaver/Kevin Harris trial update: Day 25.

Monday, May 24, 1993 was the twenty-fifth day of the trial.

Synopsis: The cross-examination of Inspector Arthur Roderick
centered on whether government agents fired the first shot.
Roderick maintained that he killed the Weaver dog only after
hearing a shot ring out, thus conflicting with reports that he
had told Idaho State Police Captain David Neal that he had fired
the first shot.

Last Friday was marked by a startling revelation.  Idaho State
Police Captain David Neal said that, in the wake of the gun
battle that left federal agent William Degan and Samuel Weaver
dead, Inspector Arthur Roderick had stated that he fired the
first shot.  Because this has been the defense's position all
along, it is unsurprising that the cross-examination centered on
who exactly fired first.

Roderick testified that, "I heard a shot to my left and figured
we were in a confrontation, and I decided it was time to take the
dog out."  After the shot, the dog, "...just stopped.  He froze
to see where the shot came from,"  Roderick stated.  The dog then
glanced at Roderick, and then Roderick proceeded to shoot the dog
in the back.  The dog went down with a yelp, but defense attorney
Gerry Spence told Roderick that the dog didn't die immediately,
"As a matter of fact, the dog remained alive for two hours,"
Spence said.  Spence also referred to the yellow Labrador
retriever as, "that poor dog," several times throughout the
cross-examination.

The cross-examination, according to the _Statesman_, was
"contentious."  However, both KTVB and a local public radio
station went on to say that Roderick was actually yelling at
times during the cross-examination.  Roderick yelled as he denied
ever telling Idaho State Police Captain David Neal that he
[Roderick] had ever said that he had fired the first shot in the
gun battle.  At one point, Spence was questioning Roderick about
whether the deputies' travels around the Weaver property
constituted "sneaking."  After Roderick angrily denied that the
federal agents were "sneaking," Spence reportedly said to
Roderick, "Don't get excited."  Roderick replied, "I'm not
getting excited."  I have not heard whether the defense will call
Neal to the stand, although it seems like an obvious move.

Courtroom analysts are generally agreeing that this case is
currently hinging on who the jury will believe regarding the
first shot in the battle.

The trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday, May 25, 1993 with the
continued cross-examination of Arthur Roderick by defense
attorney Gerry Spence.
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