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Famed lawyer Gerry Spence will represent Muslim Oregonian lawyer accused in Madrid bombing
The Oregonian ^ | August 27, 2004 | NOELLE CROMBIE

Posted on 08/29/2004 4:34:06 PM PDT by Sandy

Brandon Mayfield, the Portland-area lawyer and Muslim convert wrongly accused in the deadly Madrid train bombing, has hired celebrity trial lawyer Gerry Spence in a possible civil suit against the federal government.

Spence has a high-profile client list that includes former Philippine first lady Imelda Marcos, the family of plutonium worker Karen Silkwood and white separatist Randy Weaver.

The Wyoming-based Spence will work on the Mayfield case with a Portland civil rights lawyer, Elden Rosenthal, and a Newport lawyer, Michele Longo Eder. The attorneys, none of whom were available for comment Thursday, notified the federal court in Portland this week that they were replacing federal public defenders Steven Wax and Chris Schatz.

Mayfield, 38, has a modest West Slope law practice focusing on immigration and family law. He has not filed anything against the government but has spoken about the possibility. He did not return a call for comment Thursday.

Mayfield was arrested in May as a material witness in the Madrid bombing case after the FBI linked a fingerprint found near the scene to him. He spent two weeks in jail before the FBI acknowledged it had made a mistake and apologized to Mayfield after his release.

Legal experts said the likely basis for a lawsuit would be a civil rights claim. Mayfield also could sue individuals responsible for his detention or the government for invasion of privacy or for false imprisonment.

Mayfield, a father of three from Aloha, has said his detention damaged his reputation, his law practice and his family. He has said he was targeted because of his religious beliefs by a government overzealous in its fight against terrorism.

Spencer Neal, a Portland lawyer who spent two decades representing plaintiffs in police cases, said it's especially difficult to sue the federal government. He said suits against the government are particularly labor-intensive, and the government controls all of the evidence and witnesses.

"So, good luck," said Neal, who has lost the two or three cases he's filed against the FBI. "It can be done, but they are just generally difficult cases."

Neal said one advantage Mayfield has is that Spanish authorities doubted the fingerprint was his early in the case. In addition, the FBI did not conduct a thorough analysis of the print at the start of the case, although the government told a federal judge the print definitely was Mayfield's.

"That wasn't true, and they knew it wasn't true because the Spanish police were saying, 'Wait a minute. We've got a problem here,' " Neal said.

Since his release, Mayfield has become a spokesman of sorts about civil liberties and the potential perils of the nation's war on terrorism. A quiet man who converted to Islam, Mayfield has talked to immigration and Muslim groups about his ordeal. He has spoken in particular of his concerns about how federal authorities use the Patriot Act.

He steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout his detention and refused to submit to questioning by federal authorities. Beginning with his first appearance before U.S. District Judge Robert Jones, Mayfield made clear that he had no connection to the bombing and that the fingerprint found on a bag of detonators was not his.

During an address to the Portland City Club in June, Mayfield described a harrowing two weeks in jail, including the first week in lockdown.

Spence, a regular legal commentator on cable television, is frequently tapped by the media for his opinions on trials of everyone from Saddam Hussein, the deposed Iraqi leader, to Scott Peterson, the California man accused of murdering his pregnant wife. He's also a prolific writer whose books include "Seven Simple Steps to Personal Freedom," "The Making of a Country Lawyer" and "How to Argue and Win Every Time."

Josh Marquis, Clatsop County's district attorney, battled Spence during a 1985 juvenile case. Marquis beat Spence, winning the equivalent of a manslaughter conviction against Michael Jones Jr., a 15-year-old accused of shooting a neighbor to death in a property dispute. Four years later, the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed the conviction.

Spence also defended Jones' mother, Sandra Jones, against a murder charge in the same incident. Charges against Sandra Jones were dismissed in 1986, only to be reversed by the state Court of Appeals. The trial was moved to Multnomah County, and she was acquitted in 1988.

The case was the basis of Spence's recent book, "The Smoking Gun."

Marquis described Spence as a better storyteller and attention-getter than a trial lawyer.

"Watching his trials is enormously entertaining," Marquis said. "People came from all over Oregon when I beat him in that trial in 1985."

Marquis said Spence is a good choice if Mayfield wants to draw attention to the case, "although most of the attention will be directed to Gerry Spence and not to Mr. Mayfield."

Stephen Beaven of The Oregonian staff contributed to this report. Noelle Crombie: 503-276-7184; noellecrombie@news.oregonian.com


TOPICS: Extended News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: brandonmayfield; gerryspence; madridbombing; mayfield; spence; terrortrials
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To: AlbionGirl
It was reported that Weaver had pictures of Hitler plastered in his house, thus my reference to him being a filthy bigot.

Sounds like a little 'disinfo' designed to soften the heart of anyone who though it was evil of the govt to target Vickey Weaver as 'the brains' behind the outfit...

The other version is

The freddies also first smoked the family dog and then they hosed down the Weaver's young son who rushed to help his wounded friend.....they killed him as he went to help his puppy

After they killed Vicky Weaver the freddies taunted the Weaver family over a loudspeaker laughing questions like....what did Vicky have for breakfast today...hahahahaha...

Her body laying on the front porch...with half her head missing....a tough 135 yard shot by an expert Ranger trained West Point grad..Lon Horuichi...still an FBI agent...according to some sources who saw him lurking around Quantico..a few years back..(Horuchi was also tapped to pick off Branch Davidians....they needed a guy not afraid to pop kids I guess)

Of course Randy Weaver and his devout Christian wife had "Hitler's Pictures plastered in their house...bet they got put up right before the invited 'press' started taking picture...and making sure anyone who 'didnt belong' was long gone... Weaver got a big settlement from the Govt...a little over a million...for the death of his wife and his son...and the permenant trauma of his oldest daughter...dont know how the baby is doing..

Weaver moved back to his hometown in Iowa....where he hangs out with the people he grew up with...that way no friendly strangers can make deals with him and then shoot the rest of his kids when he doesnt go along with the deal...

Pictures of Hitler in his house...yeah right.....what a perfect picture to take some of the blame off of the real perps....

Homeland security after the Kerry's and Clinton's take over the new arm of govt.

imo

21 posted on 08/29/2004 5:42:01 PM PDT by joesnuffy (Moderate Islam Is For Dilettantes)
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To: Sandy
Famed lawyer Gerry Spence will represent Muslim Oregonian lawyer accused in Madrid bombing

Sign #127 that I've grown up:
I USED to like Gerry Spence.
22 posted on 08/29/2004 5:43:07 PM PDT by VOA
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To: AlbionGirl
"...defended that filthy bigot Weaver,..."

Just a polite suggestion, you might want to do some research on Randy Weaver and his situation before you refer to him in that manner.

23 posted on 08/29/2004 5:45:29 PM PDT by Khurkris (Proud Scottish/HillBilly - We perfected "The Art of the Grudge")
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To: joesnuffy

You wrote:

"Her body laying on the front porch...with half her head missing....a tough 135 yard shot by an expert Ranger trained West Point grad [SNIP] "

[Asbestos suit ON. Fetal position assumed.]

Why do the lefties always protest Kent State and never
this? Dead is dead, right?

No, seriously. Where were the protestors when USSR
invaded Afghanistan?


24 posted on 08/29/2004 5:46:27 PM PDT by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
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To: Sandy

Does Gerry still wear that stupid fringed leather jacket like the one Dennis Hopper wore in 'Easy Rider?'


25 posted on 08/29/2004 5:46:30 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Drug prohibition laws help fund terrorism.)
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To: crz
You just admitted that he was a 'peripheral' member of the Aryan boys. Now, I'm sorry, but that's a filthy bigot to me, if it's not to you, I'm perfectly willing to agree to disagree.

I don't know what you're so exercised about anyway, I'm basically saying I respect Spence because no matter my opinion of Weaver, he still deserved a very good defense, which is what he got.

It's just too bad that the punishment for the person(s) who murdered his wife and child wasn't a bullet in the base of the skull.

26 posted on 08/29/2004 5:56:44 PM PDT by AlbionGirl
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To: joesnuffy
He was associated with the Aryan Nation boys, and just because somebody is a Christian, that doesn't mean they're immune from bigotry and hatred.

And I agree with you on Homeland Security, but Ruby Ridge happened on GHW Bush's watch, so I'm not sure that even absent "Homeland Security" the Country is safe from that type of over-reach.

Let's face it, if the people of this Country truly valued Liberty, they would have started dragging Judges, Supreme Court and otherwise, down the steps of their respective Halls of Justice decades ago.

We gave away with ease what can be re-acquired only through blood shed.

27 posted on 08/29/2004 6:05:49 PM PDT by AlbionGirl
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

***Does Gerry still wear that stupid fringed leather jacket like the one Dennis Hopper wore in 'Easy Rider?'***

You mean the one made of pigskin? ;>)


28 posted on 08/29/2004 7:55:31 PM PDT by Ben Hecks
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To: Sandy

If it weren't Oregon, I'd say he had no chance.


29 posted on 08/29/2004 7:59:32 PM PDT by Brilliant
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To: TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl

There are jobs and then there are jobs. Ya know someone has to clean septic tanks. In my opinion Gerry Spence is a Honeydipper among Lawyers.

Honeydipper=a colloquilliasm for Septic tank cleaner.


30 posted on 08/30/2004 2:26:18 AM PDT by sgtbono2002 (I aint wrong, I aint sorry , and I am probably going to do it again.)
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