McVeigh lawyer rips meetings

Monday, Oct. 28, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

The meeting was a "deliberate example of the government engaged in unauthorized disclosure," attorney Stephen Jones said on NBC's "Today" show.

But Joseph Hartzler, the lead prosecutor in the case, said today the prosecution has "an obligation to keep the people who lost loved ones informed about what is happening in the case."

Prosecutors spent more than two hours Sunday answering questions from about 200 relatives and survivors during a meeting at the U.S. attorney's office, just a few blocks from the site of the bombed federal building. Another gathering was set for this evening for those who didn't make Sunday's briefing.

"I want to emphasize that the meeting that we had yesterday and we are having this evening is a private meeting," Hartzler said. "We're not seeking to generate publicity and we are merely fulfilling what we view as an important duty to meet with and inform the victims of this tragedy."

He noted that prosecutors always meet with victims and families, but in this case there are too many of them to make one-on-one meetings practical. The meetings were in the works before Friday's ruling by U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch in Denver ordering separate trials in the case, officials said.

McVeigh, 28, and former Las Vegas resident Terry Nichols, 41, are charged with federal murder, conspiracy and weapons counts in the April 19, 1995, bombing that killed 168 people and injured more than 500. If convicted, they could face the death penalty.

Hartzler told The Daily Oklahoman he wanted victims to understand that the decision for separate trials and other rulings were procedural matters "that did not in any way affect either the quality or quantity of the evidence."

Hartzler also said he hoped prosecutors were able to lay to rest some claims made by defense lawyers -- "what I characterize as the wacky theories."

"It squelched a lot of rumors that I was hearing," said Janet Walker, whose husband died in the blast.

Walker said the meeting helped her dismiss the possibility of an "overseas connection" that defense lawyers mentioned.

Jones was upset that the meeting was held at all.

"That's a violation of Department of Justice guidelines, it's a violation of the judge's order and it's a deliberate attempt to prejudice this trial," he said.

Asked what the judge should do with Hartzler, Jones said: "Shut him up."

Daniel DeMoss, a Social Security Administration employee who was injured in the blast, said he now believes the prosecution has a strong case.

"I think the evidence they have is really clear-cut," he said. "I think they just can't wait to get this thing to trial."

Leesa Brown, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said today that about 60 to 70 people have indicated plans to attend tonight's meeting.