Oklahoma Bomber To Present Conspiracy Evidence

http://www.officer.com/article/article.jsp?id=9928&siteSection=1 ^

[Stew Padasso]

Oklahoma Bomber To Present Conspiracy Evidence

............ TIM TALLEY Associated Press

McALESTER, Okla. (AP) -- An Oklahoma judge has left the door open for bombing conspirator Terry Nichols to present evidence of a wider conspiracy in the Oklahoma City bombing.

But District Judge Steven Taylor said Monday that before a jury hears the evidence, Nichols must prove that additional conspirators committed specific, overt acts to plan and carry out the bombing.

"Mr. Nichols is going to be allowed to present his defense,'' Taylor said, ruling that prosecution motions to prevent Nichols from presenting evidence of other bombing suspects were premature.

Prosecutors have said there is no firm evidence of other suspects.

Defense attorney Mark A. Earnest said Nichols' defense team does not plan to offer the names of other conspirators. He said the defense wants to present circumstantial evidence that Timothy McVeigh conspired with others, possibly members of the Aryan Republican Army, a white supremacist group with anti-government views, to bomb the P. Murrah Federal Building.

Defense attorneys say the conspiracy was set up to cast blame on Nichols and shield other conspirators.

More than 350 people were sworn in Monday as potential jurors Monday for Nichols' trial on 161 counts of first-degree murder for the April 19, 1995, bombing, which killed 168 people. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The jury orientation for 357 people was conducted under heavy security in a school auditorium a few blocks from the courthouse.

State District Judge Steven Taylor said the trial could be long and create personal hardships for jurors. Nichols, his attorneys and prosecutors were present at the orientation session.

Jury selection, expected to take two weeks, begins March 1. The trial is expected to last three to six months.

Nichols, 48, is already serving a federal life imprisonment sentence for the deaths of eight federal law enforcement officers. The state charges are for the other 160 victims and one of the victims' unborn child.

McVeigh was convicted of federal murder and weapons charges and executed in 2001.

[dirtboy]

This ought to be interesting.

[dead]

Any chance this will be televised?

Interesting cast of characters.

[ChefKeith]

The real people know the truth and the fedscum will continue to sweep the truth under the mats in the prisons.

Just the same I hope it does some good and they "allow" the facts to be told.

[DonQ]

Having originally (in his federal trial) claimed to have had no knowledge whatever of the plan to blow up the Murrah Bldg, Nichols is now going to pretend to have such intimate knowledge that he can identify co-conspirators. I am not clear on how this is a defense. Certainly he can get the death penalty even if some other members of the conspiracy are not caught or convicted.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Tim McVeigh didnt oppose his execution too much... I think he was protecting someone. Maybe his family, maybe a bigger fish.

[Stew Padasso]

That is a good question. Maybe Court TV has some info? I'll check.

[Eastbound]

It's also possible that if he does have specific knowledge of fed actors in this plot he might be offed like Oswald before he gets to testify.

I'd start watching those pizza deliveries.

[fatidic]

Ever wonder why the feds were in such a hurry to kill McVeigh? Ever wonder why the feds were in such a hurry to declare TWA 800 was due to gas fumes in the wing?

[fatidic]

Ever wonder why the feds were in such a hurry to kill McVeigh? Ever wonder why the feds were in such a hurry to declare TWA 800 was due to gas fumes in the wing?

[Lexington Green]

Would it surprise anyone if Nichols has a heart attack?

[Prodigal Son]

Ever wonder why the feds were in such a hurry to kill McVeigh?

Aye, so I do.

[Poohbah]

Of course, the problem is that Nichols will incriminate himself rather thoroughly in the process.

[Eastbound]

"Tim McVeigh didnt oppose his execution too much..."

Maybe he was anxious to get back to his cabana and lay on the beach. ;>

[Stew Padasso]

That is a good thing. And if anyone else is involved, bring it to light.

[happygrl]

I've always thought that he was protecting his sister, with whom he had shared some cryptic allusions to his activities. I think the feds used this as a threat to go after his sister.

As I recall, they held her and interregated her intensely.

[_Jim]

But District Judge Steven Taylor said Monday that before a jury hears the evidence, Nichols must prove that additional conspirators committed specific, overt acts to plan and carry out the bombing.

THIS is the clincher, the 'kicker'.

DON'T expect much out of this given that requirement (conspiracy theories work on paper, on the Internet, but FAIL in a courtroom where cross examination of those purported 'facts' take place) ...

[fire_eye]

The explanation I got for that, from somebody who runs with the spook crowd, was that McVeigh died like a good soldier, not realizing that there were Government agents involved in the plot, and that he had been betrayed.

Unlike the conspiracy theorists, who seem to have arcane knowledge of all this, I can't convince myself of what the truth is, one way or the other. But I will not believe one single thing the Government says unless and until they extradite Andreas Strassmeier from Germany and put him on the stand.

[Eastbound]

"But District Judge Steven Taylor said Monday that before a jury hears the evidence, Nichols must prove that additional conspirators committed specific, overt acts to plan and carry out the bombing."

If Nichols can prove that to the judge, what would be the point in having a jury? Supposing he did prove it to the judge and was assassinated before the jury heard the testimony. What would the judge be required to do with the information?

Makes one wonder what happened to whatever Oswald might have said to anyone before he was assassinated.

[_Jim]

Makes one wonder what happened to whatever Oswald might have said to anyone before he was assassinated.

Oh crap man!

Read something authoratative on Oswald or the JFK assassination instead of that conspiracy crap -

- or at LEAST an account of that messed-up boy's early life and existence as told by his brother Robert! It's NOT like there is *no* verifiable, first-hand information on Oswald you know ...

Also, to help get you started on your Kennedy assassination 12-step program see:

Michael Beck -- Reformed Kennedy Assassination Conspiracy Buff