Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns,alt.politics.org.batf,alt.politics.usa.misc From: [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William W. Hughes) Subject: Branch Davidian Trial - 27 Jan 94 Date: Fri, 28 Jan 1994 03:32:28 GMT Branch Davidian Trial Update - Thursday, 27 Jan 94 Page 1B Headline - AGENT CLAIMS DAVIDIAN ONLY POINTED GUN AT HER Subhead - Agent places Davidian at rescue scene ATF agent Bernadette Griffin testified that she and three other agents (Pete Mastin, Milton Bonaventure and Ken Chisolm) were approaching the compound to locate and assist wounded agents when they met defendant Jaime Castillo. Griffin said that her gun was holstered and she had her hands up. She said that Castillo aimed a rifle at her, but did not fire. When Chisolm asked if he could assist agent Kenneth King, lying wounded on a roof just above him, Castillo said "'Yes, that's OK, hurry up.'" Chisolm also testified that he had earlier identified the man as Michael Schroeder, based on photos shown to him by Texas Rangers months after the raid. Schroeder is known to have been away from the compound during the raid, and was killed by agents later that afternoon. Chisolm said that he was sure of his identification until he was told by other agents that Schroeder was not at the compound at that time. Defense attorney Jeff Kearney clearly established, during cross- examination, that Castillo never fired or tried to fire during the encounter. Texas Ranger Sergeant Gary de los Santos testified that, during a conversation with Castillo [presumably during interrogation], he was told that Castillo was with Koresh during the initial encounter at the compound's main door, that Koresh said "'Wait a minute, there's women and children in here'", and that gunfire erupted through the door. Judge Smith rejected a request by the defense for information about meetings between ATF agents and U. S. Attorneys during raid plan- ning and during the siege. The paper reports this as a "blow" to the defense. According to a Treasury Department report, Assistant U. S. Attorney Bill Johnson "'informed the ATF early in the investigation that he would not authorize a search warrant for the Branch Davidian com- pound if it was to be executed through a siege-style operation.'" Prosecutor Ray Jahn disputed the accuracy of the report, claiming that no such meeting took place. "Johnson told the judge he met with ATF agents about legal issues related to the case." No time reference given in the newspaper article for this last statement. =================================================================== SUMMARISER'S COMMENTS Referencing de los Santos' testimony, recounting events from Cas- tillo's point of view (behind Koresh, and therefore inside the compound), it would seem that the first shots were fired from outside, by the ATF. Referencing the dispute about the Treasury report; if the report is accurate, then the intentions of the ATF in staging the raid become increasingly questionable. On the other hand, if Jahn is correct, then the entire Treasury report may become questionable. Either way, it appears to be a losing situation for the government. ------------------------------------------------------------------- KNOWN DISTRIBUTIONS USENET: talk.politics.guns, alt.politics.org.batf, alt.politics.usa.misc - posted by author mailing list Firearms Politics (firearms-politics @ns1.rutgers.edu) - sent by author (gated to moderated newsgroup info.firearms.poli- tics) alt.conspiracy - forwarded by "Searchnet Zec", whoever or whatever that is FIDONET: DEBATE and CONTROVERSY - forwarded by Terry Goodman (terry.goodman @support.com / 1:102/837) LEGAL (non-backbone) - forwarded by Lester Garrett (1:125/101) SmartNet: POLIPHIL - forwarded by Lester Garrett (FIDO 1:125/101) Please feel free to forward these updates to any other groups, conferences and networks that you feel may be interested. KNOWN ARCHIVES The Powder Keg BBS, 707-427-1310, 14.4, 24H7D, directory WACO (SurvNet/PRNet 176:100/24, sysop Peter Nesbitt) If anybody else is archiving these updates, and/or making them available for ftp, gopher, or other access, please let me know and I will include that information in further Administrivia sections. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= This summary of the Branch Davidian trial is based on articles published in the San Antonio Express-News. The original articles, and any sections quoted herein are copyrighted by the Express-News. The remainder of the summary is copyright 1994 by William W. Hughes. Copying of these summaries, either by hardcopy or electron- ic means, is authorized and encouraged, as long as this notice remains attached and intact. "I do not work for or represent the San Antonio Express-News" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= -- [w--g--s] at [lonestar.utsa.edu] (William Hughes) | In memory of 85 un-charged, UTSA doesn't agree with me. They're wrong. | un-convicted victims of the U.S. Politicians Prefer Unarmed Peasants | government in Waco, Texas - Politically Incorrect and proud of it! | including over 20 children.