Conspiracy Nation -- Vol. 5 Num. 32

("Quid coniuratio est?")


PAULA ZAHN INTERVIEWS STEPHEN JONES
Paula Zahn interviewed Stephen Jones, attorney for accused Oklahoma City bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh, on CBS This Morning, June 26, 1995. The following is my transcription of the interview.

PAULA ZAHN:
Timothy McVeigh has spoken for the first time about the charges against him in the Oklahoma City bombing. Among other things, he told Newsweek magazine he will not plead guilty, and that the first he heard of the bombing was when he was arrested on a traffic charge.

Also, we are seeing a new image of McVeigh. His defense team has provided a new videotape of a relaxed McVeigh, chatting with his attorneys.

Stephen Jones is one of his attorneys. He joins us this morning from Enid, Oklahoma.

Thank you very much for being with us this morning.

STEPHEN JONES:
Thank you, Paula.

PAULA ZAHN:
Let's talk about this interview with Newsweek for the moment. When Timothy McVeigh was asked if he bombed the Murrah Federal Building, this is what he had to say (he did not flatly deny it): "The only way we can answer that is, we are going to plead 'not guilty.'"

If your client didn't do it, why didn't he say so in this interview?

STEPHEN JONES:
Because under the local rules of the western judicial district here in Oklahoma, a defendant and his lawyer have certain limits as to what they can say once the case is filed in court. He can say how he will plead, and in this particular case he will plead "not guilty". To go beyond that is to risk violation of the local rules and a citation for contempt. And he simply cannot do that, under the circumstances.

PAULA ZAHN:
As you know, a number of legal analysts out there are questioning why you allowed your client to do this interview in the first place. What was your motivation?

STEPHEN JONES:
Well, the client wanted to do it. Dave Hackworth(sp?) wrote him, and said he'd like to interview him, soldier-to-soldier. Colonel Hackworth's reputation is well-known among enlisted men and NCOs [Non-Commissioned Officers], and my client said, "I want to talk to the man."

So we arranged for the interview on that basis, and we laid down certain ground rules that were acceptable to Newsweek, and we went forward.

PAULA ZAHN:
Let's move on to another question that was asked of him. It was reported that, when he was arrested, he only gave his name, rank, a serial number -- and in this Newsweek interview he said, "I never called myself a 'prisoner of war.'" He also denied being a member of the Michigan Militia, and said that he never attended their meetings.

Let's go back to the "prisoner of war" comments: are there any transcripts, that you have seen, that document that in any way at all?

STEPHEN JONES:
No, I've not seen any transcripts. Of course, the trooper who arrested him testified at the preliminary hearing. And I think that it's beyond question that he and Mr. McVeigh had a normal conversation after he was arrested and he was taken down to the courthouse in Perry. Mr. McVeigh made two court appearances and answered the questions of the judge. So the idea that he said nothing but "name, rank, and serial number" is disputed by probably 20 or 25 people who witnessed some, if not all, of these proceedings.

PAULA ZAHN:
As you know, one thing that your client said that is being disputed is that he never participated in Michigan Militia members [sic]. There have been a number of members who have come forward that said that they, in fact, saw Timothy McVeigh at one of their meetings; in fact, he was interested in, in the potential bombing of another target. What do you make of those reports and those comments?

STEPHEN JONES:
Well I understand those reports... Mr. McVeigh has said that he was not a member of the Michigan Militia and he did not attend any of their meetings. Now there are apparently a large number of militia members in Michigan: I hear numbers as high as 15,000. It's certainly possible that he, and any number of other citizens, may have been at places where there were members of the Michigan Militia. But until proven contrary, we'll have to take his word. And even if he did attend the meetings, there's no indication whatsoever that there's any relationship between the Michigan Militia and what happened in Oklahoma City -- none whatsoever.

PAULA ZAHN:
In closing this morning, in this interview, Mr. McVeigh admitted that he is concerned about the death penalty. Can you see yourself ever accepting any kind of government bargain, that would escape the death penalty for your client?

STEPHEN JONES:
Well I don't want to rule out anything, but the government has made no overture to my client nor have I made any overture to the government. At the present time, the matter will go to trial.

PAULA ZAHN:
Stephen Jones.

Thank you for your time this morning.

STEPHEN JONES:
Thank you, Paula.

PAULA ZAHN:
I appreciate your joining us.


I encourage distribution of "Conspiracy Nation."


For information on how to receive the new Conspiracy Nation Newsletter, send an e-mail message to bigxc@prairienet.org
If you would like "Conspiracy Nation" sent to your e-mail address, send a message in the form "subscribe conspire My Name" to listproc@prairienet.org -- To cancel, send a message in the form "unsubscribe conspire" to listproc@prairienet.org
Aperi os tuum muto, et causis omnium filiorum qui pertranseunt. Aperi os tuum, decerne quod justum est, et judica inopem et pauperem. -- Liber Proverbiorum XXXI: 8-9

Brian Francis Redman bigxc@prairienet.org "The Big C"

Coming to you from Illinois -- "The Land of Skolnick"