ad info

 
CNN.comTranscripts
 
Editions | myCNN | Video | Audio | Headline News Brief | Feedback  

 

  Search
 
 

 

TOP STORIES

Bush signs order opening 'faith-based' charity office for business

Rescues continue 4 days after devastating India earthquake

DaimlerChrysler employees join rapidly swelling ranks of laid-off U.S. workers

Disney's GO.com is a goner

(MORE)

MARKETS
4:30pm ET, 4/16
144.70
8257.60
3.71
1394.72
10.90
879.91
 


WORLD

U.S.

POLITICS

LAW

TECHNOLOGY

ENTERTAINMENT

 
TRAVEL

ARTS & STYLE



(MORE HEADLINES)
 
CNN Websites
Networks image


Saturday Morning News

Jury Acquits Government in Waco Wrongful Death Suit

Aired July 15, 2000 - 9:03 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Federal law enforcement officials say they feel vindicated now that a Texas jury has cleared agents in the wrongful death suit brought by the Branch Davidians. The federal judge in the case will hear more evidence in about three weeks.

CNN's Tony Clark with details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY CLARK, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Members of the Branch Davidians left the Waco courthouse neither surprised nor discouraged by the jury's verdict.

SHEILA MARTIN, BRANCH DAVIDIAN: I trusted in God. We can't depend on any person, and our faith is still strong.

CLARK: The five-member advisory jury took only two and a half hours to decide that agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms did not use excessive force when they first tried to serve search and arrest warrants at the compound in February of 1993, and that the FBI was not negligent in its handling of the April 19 final day of the siege.

MIKE BRADFORD, U.S. ATTORNEY: I think this is a vindication for the law enforcement officers who were out at Mount Carmel in 1993.

CLARK: The $675 million civil suit brought by survivors and relatives of the Davidians who were killed claimed federal agents fired indiscriminately during the initial raid, and that 51 days later, prematurely began destroying the compound, contributed to the spread of the fire, and failed to have firefighting equipment available.

RAMSEY CLARK, DAVIDIAN ATTORNEY: What I worry about is, it will tell law enforcement, You can do this again. Would you like to see this happen again?

CLARK: Lead Davidian attorney Mike Caddell spent the last six years bringing the case to court. He believes the Davidians' stockpile of weapons may have made the difference.

MIKE CADDELL, DAVIDIAN ATTORNEY: It may be at the end of the day that for the jury, having that quantity of weaponry this close to Waco is just too much for them. CLARK: In this civil case, the jury's verdict is only a recommendation to Judge Walter Smith. He's expected to make the final ruling sometime next month.

(on camera): There's still one more issue to be heard by the court, the question of whether FBI agents shot at the Davidians on the final day of the siege. But given the jury's verdict, attorney Mike Caddell said that may not be worth pursuing.

Tony Clark, CNN, Waco, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com

 Search   


Back to the top  © 2001 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.