Waco Is Suppressing Evidence That Could Clear Innocent Bikers

The Atlantic ^ | July 21, 2015

[don-o]

Why is Waco, Texas, fighting to suppress multiple videos of the shootout that killed nine bikers at the Twin Peaks restaurant on May 17? Why are some attorneys in the case now prohibited from talking to the press? And why haven’t Waco officials revealed how many of the nine victims were killed by bullets from police officers’ guns?

snip

Here are two theories.

One is the official explanation. Authorities say that this is a complex investigation that takes lots of time and that suppressing video evidence and issuing gag orders is necessary to prevent prospective jurors from being influenced by pre-trial publicity.

I find that explanation dubious.

Authorities in Waco have actively advanced a contested narrative of what happened at the Twin Peaks restaurant from the start, sometimes getting facts wrong. They haven’t tried to preserve the impartiality of jurors, instead, they've pushed a version of events that reflects well on the Waco police and the actions they’ve taken.

Here is an alternative explanation.

If there is video or ballistics evidence suggesting that lots of innocent people were arrested without probable cause, or that police bullets killed some of the dead that day in Waco, it will be a public-relations nightmare and a huge liability for Waco and its police department. Scores of bikers could sue for six- or seven-figure sums. And prosecutors might find it much more difficult to secure indictments in the case.

But if indictments can be filed before evidence inconvenient to Waco authorities is publicly revealed, the leverage changes. A biker might be indicted for conspiracy to murder, then offered a plea deal to accept a much lesser charge, like disturbing the peace, with the understanding that time served would take care of the sentence.

[wastoute]

This won’t see a court. At least not in years. See Ludlow Massacre and Kent State.

[circlecity]

"Perhaps it’s easy, perhaps not. I’d call that an opinion"

Well, having done it on a regular basis both as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney for over 30 years I'd say it's a pretty informed opinion.

[HiTech RedNeck]

“The process is the punishment”

[RitaOK]

Well that is certainly accurate.

The process is very much a punishment to anyone charged and jailed, even rightfully, even when there WAS probable cause.

[HiTech RedNeck]

But it also is so to those whom there is no legal basis in the end. You sound like another one of the devil’s dancers, who is so sure of the damnation of his subject.

[bgill]

Here’s to the bikers bankrupting the city and name the offending authorities individually in law suits. The taxpayers of Waco need to clean house.

[bgill]

Makes you wonder how much super duper ninja warrior equipment they accepted from Soetoro.

[don-o]

What about the CONTENT of this specific piece do you have a problem with?

[RitaOK]

Huh?

Are you itching for a fight over nothing?

[don-o]

So, my question remains— can’t the biker attorneys make their case well enough...

I am pretty sure I have seen you posting on the Waco threads? Are you claiming to not know anything about lawsuits, examining trials, recusal demands, etc?

[House Atreides]

Huh?

Are you itching for a fight over nothing?
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Over “nothing”? Do you think that likely oppression and likely unjustified persecution and destruction of the personal lives of fellow Americans in NOTHING?

Where did you learn to worship at the boots of the oppressors? Where did you learn to love the power of the unrestrained STATE? Where did you learn to love our self-appointed rulers? When did you lose your discernment...if you ever actually had any?

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

For me, the tough part is separating the good guys from the bad guys. You don’t wear the patches unless you are told you can by the bad guys(even if you are a good guy).

The gangs created this mess and everyone arrested is well aware of the rules and protocols.

I’m just guessing now, but I expect the cops are pulling their hair out because absolutely nobody is talking. At least none of the patched guys are and they are the ones being looked at. What else do you do when confronted by a secret society?

[VerySadAmerican]

I believe EVERY death was at the hands of the cops.

[don-o]

For me, the tough part is separating the good guys from the bad guys.

THAT is a mind boggling statement right there.

Let's start out by finding someone actually committing an actual crime.

[mac_truck]

So, my question remains— can’t the biker attorneys make their case well enough to get an appeal to higher courts, or the Texas Attorney General, or the US Justice Department, or state Supreme Court, or the US Congress, etc.?

Any one of the 177 who were arrested in this incident can simply go before the grand jury and state their case...and if four grand jurors believe them they will be no-billed. The downside is they must appear without their attorney and answer questions under oath.

For some, this might be the quickest and cheapest way out of legal difficulty.

[RitaOK]

You may have a beef with my other posts but to highly technical neck person, I actually agreed with the $@&. What I get back was name called as a what was it, a demon worshiper or some similar trash talk from Mr. Dignified. LOL!

Now you butt in.

Butt out.

[House Atreides]

“...The gangs created this mess and everyone arrested is well aware of the rules and protocols.

I’m just guessing now, but I expect the cops are pulling their hair out because absolutely nobody is talking. At least none of the patched guys are and they are the ones being looked at. What else do you do when confronted by a secret society?”
****************************************************************************************************
You may just be right Okie...except possibly not in the manner you think.

“The gangs” who “created this mess” and the “secret society” where “nobody is talking” may possibly be Obama’s DOJ Agencies such as BATF and their local puppets such as undercover operators, the Waco authorities & their SWAT. Don’t think this is far-fetched because it fits with their modus operandi. Think PLANNED PROVOCATION GONE TERRIBLY WRONG. I don’t think ANYONE (in the government agencies) thought that such an operation would end up with 9 dead. None of the folks who participated in planning such a (very likely) provocation ever thought that they would be swept away by imperfect attempts to cover up & hide their actions and hide how the deaths resulted FROM THEIR ACTIONS as event spiraled out of control. Now they are trying to cover up the cover up IMHO. None of them could envision that video recordings would capture government agents shooting unarmed individual(s) and capture attempted planting of evidence (e.g., laying down a “throw away” gun by a downed body).

IMHO the light of day will bring justice...and THAT is what the authorities NOW fear...because justice will be coming after THEM.

[AMDG&BVMH]

The bikers say otherwise.

Some statements accuse Bandidos or affiliates of at least three murders, and there might be a couple more gang-to-gang killings during the melee.

The cops never denied they fired. Some of the dead were with little doubt the result of LE shooting, intended to stop the slaughter. If some LE messed up, their actions are also subject to discovery and appropriate censure and the law.

There is no evidence that I have seen that ALL the dead were at the “Hands of the cops.”

If you have evidence to support that allegation, I would be most appreciative of seeing it so that I can evaluate it.

So far, I have seen no evidence that ALL the nine dead were killed by cops. Then there are the 18 wounded to consider.

It is frustrating to all of us, to try to piece things together, when we do not have all the information. It is known by no small number of persons, who shot whom. We are still on the outside trying to make sense of it all.

[ImJustAnotherOkie]

Wave a magic wand. My guess is the bad guys have the not bad guys on a pretty short string. They can’t say or do anything to get themselves free because it would implicate the real bad guys.

I’m sure the prosecutors are playing a tough game of hardball. From everything I’ve heard everybody knew there was going to be a blowout but stuck around to see the fireworks.

One thing I’d really like to know is how many of the weapons found belonged to CCW holders, traced to convicts via fingerprints, stolen ect... All those statistics alone would be fun to study.

They must have had to install a new database just to keep track of all this stuff.

[RitaOK]

Thank you!

Fat chance anyone from the concern troll brigade even hears you. So, the accused need to step it up and make their appeal to the Grand Jury, without their attorney. No gag order applies on this course of action.

All I’ve ever pointed out is that a trial is for separating truth from fiction, and that defense attorneys are suppose to advise and defend their client.

Thanks, mac.