McVeigh's Latest Appeal Rejected

D E N V E R, Oct. 12, 2000 -- A federal judge has rejected a request for a new trialfor Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, who claimed his ownlawyer leaked inflammatory stories about him to the media.

“The court is convinced that Timothy McVeigh received a fairtrial before an impartial jury,” U.S. District Judge RichardMatsch said today.

McVeigh was convicted of murder, conspiracy and weapons chargesand sentenced to death in the April 19, 1995, bombing of the AlfredP. Murrah Federal Building. The blast killed 168 people and injuredmore than 500.

Furor Over Book IntentionsMcVeigh said defense attorney Stephen Jones failed to representhim adequately. He claimed Jones leaked McVeigh’s purportedconfession to the media and promoted questionable theories aboutforeign terrorists to pique interest in Jones’ book.

But the judge said McVeigh failed to show that Jones’ intentionto write a book influenced the trial. Even if Jones had failed toprotect confidential information, it would not have greatlyinfluenced the trial, Matsch said.

He noted McVeigh was “actively represented by at least sixexperienced trial lawyers.”

Matsch also dismissed claims that jurors gave dishonest answersin pretrial questionnaires and that the government withheldevidence about FBI procedures.

In a previous appeal, Jones said McVeigh deserved a new trialbecause of unfair pretrial publicity. A federal appeals courtrejected that argument.