Did Government Try To Stop Nichols Trial?
By Jerry Bohnen, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ Convicted Oklahoma City bomber Terry Nichols maintains the U.S. government, through a mediator, attempted to cut a deal with him to stop the state murder trial held three years ago in McAlester. His claim is contained in a legal motion filed by Jesse Trentadue, the Salt Lake City lawyer who continues waging a several year long Freedom of Information Act battle with the Justice Department and the FBI.
Trentadue included a declaration of Terry Nichols as part of his response to the FBI's response of a Utah federal judge's ruling to let Trentadue interview and videotape Nichols and convicted killer David Paul Hammer, who once was in prison with bomber Tim McVeigh prior to McVeigh's execution.
In his declaration, Nichols maintained that during December of 2003 and January of 2004 when he was held in the Oklahoma County jail, he was offered a deal by an attorney named Michael Selby who was from Missouri and claimed to speak for the Justice Department. Selby, according to Nichols, told him that their meeting was 'off the books' and would be denied by the federal government. But Selby asked him to do three things and said if Nichols did them, there would be no state murder trial in connection with the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah building.
"According to Mr. Selby, the Department of Justice could prevent the state prosecution from going forward by not releasing evidence to the state prosecutors and by not allowing FBI agents and other federal employees to testify in the state case," wrote Nichols in his declaration.
Nichols wrote that Selby wanted him to admit to making a phone call to the FBI the day before the bombing and warning of the plan to bomb the Murrah building. Selby also wanted Nichols to implicate his brother James Nichols in criminal activity and to reveal the location of explosives stolen from the home of Roger Moore, an Arkansas gun dealer.
Nichols said he never heard of the phone call warning the FBI of the bombing and refused to implicate his brother because it was not true that he was involved in criminal activity. Nichols said Moore had given the explosives to McVeigh. Selby told Nichols, according to the declaration, that Moore was "untouchable."
Trentadue included a declaration of Terry Nichols as part of his response to the FBI's response of a Utah federal judge's ruling to let Trentadue interview and videotape Nichols and convicted killer David Paul Hammer, who once was in prison with bomber Tim McVeigh prior to McVeigh's execution.
In his declaration, Nichols maintained that during December of 2003 and January of 2004 when he was held in the Oklahoma County jail, he was offered a deal by an attorney named Michael Selby who was from Missouri and claimed to speak for the Justice Department. Selby, according to Nichols, told him that their meeting was 'off the books' and would be denied by the federal government. But Selby asked him to do three things and said if Nichols did them, there would be no state murder trial in connection with the April 19, 1995 bombing of the Murrah building.
"According to Mr. Selby, the Department of Justice could prevent the state prosecution from going forward by not releasing evidence to the state prosecutors and by not allowing FBI agents and other federal employees to testify in the state case," wrote Nichols in his declaration.
Nichols wrote that Selby wanted him to admit to making a phone call to the FBI the day before the bombing and warning of the plan to bomb the Murrah building. Selby also wanted Nichols to implicate his brother James Nichols in criminal activity and to reveal the location of explosives stolen from the home of Roger Moore, an Arkansas gun dealer.
Nichols said he never heard of the phone call warning the FBI of the bombing and refused to implicate his brother because it was not true that he was involved in criminal activity. Nichols said Moore had given the explosives to McVeigh. Selby told Nichols, according to the declaration, that Moore was "untouchable."
Labels: Jesse Trendadue, Oklahoma City Bombing, Terry Nichols
posted by Mike McCarville @ 8:34 AM
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