News

DATE=1/14/98

TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT

NUMBER=5-38669

TITLE=UNABOMB SUSPECT CRAZY?

BYLINE=JIM MALONE

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



INTRO:   IN CALIFORNIA, THE MAN ACCUSED OF BEING THE SO-CALLED 

UNABOMBER CONTINUES TO UNDERGO PSYCHIATRIC TESTS TO DETERMINE IF 

HE IS MENTALLY COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL.  DEFENDANT TED KACZYNSKI

WANTS TO FIRE HIS COURT-APPOINTED LEGAL TEAM AND ACT AS HIS OWN 

LAWYER DURING THE MURDER TRIAL, WHICH HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL 

NEXT WEEK.  ALL OF THIS BEGS THE QUESTION -- WHEN IS SOMEONE 

CONSIDERED CRAZY IN THE EYES OF THE LAW?  IT IS A HOT TOPIC OF 

DEBATE AMONG LEGAL EXPERTS IN THIS COUNTRY, AND V-O-A NATIONAL 

CORRESPONDENT JIM MALONE HAS A SAMPLING OF OPINION. 



TEXT:  TED KACZYNSKI STANDS ACCUSED OF BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR AN 

18-YEAR CAMPAIGN OF BOMBINGS AROUND THE UNITED STATES WHICH 

KILLED THREE PEOPLE AND WOUNDED 29 OTHERS.  THE ACCUSED UNABOMBER

IS NOW UNDERGOING PSYCHIATRIC TESTS BY A COURT-APPOINTED EXPERT 

IN SACREMENTO, CALIFORNIA, TO DETERMINE IF HE IS MENTALLY 

COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND IF HE IS ABLE TO DEFEND HIMSELF AS 

HE HAS REQUESTED.



NO ONE DOUBTS TED KACZYNKSI'S INTELLIGENCE BUT MANY LEGAL EXPERTS

SAY HE SHOULD  NOT  BE ALLOWED TO DEFEND HIMSELF IN A MURDER 

TRIAL WHERE HE COULD BE SENTENCED TO DEATH IF CONVICTED.



NOTED DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND HARVARD UNIVERSITY LAW PROFESSOR ALAN 

DERSHOWITZ WAS ASKED ABOUT MR. KACZYNSKI'S DEMAND TO REPRESENT 

HIMSELF ON THE NBC TODAY PROGRAM. HE SAYS THERE IS A DIFFERENCE 

BETWEEN SOMEONE FOUND COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND A DEFENDANT 

WHO IS DEEMED CAPABLE OF REPRESENTING HIMSELF IN A MURDER TRIAL. 



                     /// DERSHOWITZ ACT. ///



         BUT TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT YOURSELF (AT A TRIAL) YOU 

         HAVE TO KNOW MORE THAN JUST UNDERSTAND (WHAT IS GOING 

         ON). YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE JUDGEMENT CALLS. I HAD 

         A CASE RECENTLY WHERE A MAN REPRESENTED HIMSELF WHO WAS 

         OBVIOUSLY CRAZY AND HE TALKED HIMSELF RIGHT INTO THE 

         DEATH PENALTY. IT WAS REVERSED ON APPEAL, FORTUNATELY. 

         BUT THESE STANDARDS (COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND 

         COMPETENT TO DEFEND ONESELF) OUGHT TO BE SEPARATED.



                        /// END ACT. ///



IF THE JUDGE IN THE CASE DETERMINES THAT MR. KACZYNSKI IS 

COMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL, HE WILL THEN HAVE TO DECIDE IF THE 

ACCUSED CAN FIRE HIS LAWYERS AND REPRESENT HIMSELF AS HE HAS 

DEMANDED. MR. KACZYNSKI DROPPED HIS OPPOSITION TO A PSYCHIATRIC 

EVALUATION LAST WEEK NOT LONG AFTER HE APPARENTLY TRIED TO HANG 

HIMSELF IN HIS JAIL CELL.



SOME LEGAL ANALYSTS HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE JUDGE IN THE CASE 

AND SAY THAT THE DEFENDANT HAS EXERCIZED TOO MUCH CONTROL OVER 

THE PROCEEDINGS AND THREATENS TO TURN THE TRIAL INTO A CIRCUS. 

FORMER PROSECUTOR NANCY GRACE IS NOW A COMMENTATOR ON THE COURT 

T-V CABLE NETWORK. SHE WAS ALSO INTERVIEWED ON NBC'S TODAY 

PROGRAM.



                       /// GRACE ACT. ///



         I THINK THAT WHAT HE IS DOING IS ONE DELAY TACTIC AFTER 

         THE NEXT. I HAVE SEEN IT MANY TIMES BEFORE. AND OF 

         COURSE, AS ABRAHAM LINCOLN PUT IT, A MAN WHO REPRESENTS 

         HIMSELF HAS A FOOL FOR A CLIENT. I WOULD ADVISE HIM TO 

         USE HIS LAWYERS AND STOP BEING A BRAT.



                        /// END ACT. ///



/// OPT /// GOVERNMENT PROSECUTORS HAVE ALREADY REJECTED AN OFFER

FROM TED KACZYNSKI TO PLEAD GUILTY TO THE MURDER CHARGES IN 

EXCHANGE FOR A SENTENCE OF LIFE IN PRISON. THAT WOULD ALLOW MR. 

KACZYNSKI TO AVOID THE DEATH PENALTY, A POINT OF CONTENTION 

BETWEEN LEGAL ANALYSTS NANCY GRACE AND ALAN DERSHOWITZ.



                  /// GRACE-DERSHOWITZ ACT. ///



         GRACE:  AND I GUESS FOR US TO ALL SIT BACK AND SAY, 

         'DEATH PENALTY OR NO DEATH PENALTY' IS WRONG BECAUSE IT 

         IS UP TO, IN MY OPINION, THE STATE AND VICTIM'S FAMILIES

         AS TO WHAT THEY THINK IS APPROPRIATE. AND HERE THEY 

         APPARENTLY WANT THE DEATH PENALTY AT LEAST AS AN OPTION 

         FOR THAT JURY.



         DERSHOWITZ:  BUT HE (KACZYNSKI) MAY WANT THE DEATH 

         PENALTY TOO AND WE DO NOT ALLOW OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM TO 

         BE USED AS A DOCTOR KEVORKIAN (ASSISTED SUICIDE 

         ACTIVIST) MACHINE, TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO USE IT TO KILL 

         THEMSELVES. IF HE HAS A DEFENSE, SOMEBODY OUGHT TO BE 

         RAISING IT AND HIS DEFENSE OF INSANITY OUGHT TO BE 

         PLACED BEFORE A JURY.



                        /// END ACT. ///



                         /// END OPT ///



SOME EXPERTS BELIEVE THAT IN THE END ALL THIS LEGAL MANEUVERING 

WILL LEAD TO A PLEA BARGAIN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE SUSPECTED 

UNABOMBER AND PROSECUTORS. FORMER U-S ATTORNEY JOSEPH DEGENOVA 

MADE THAT PREDICTION ON THE NBC TODAY SHOW.



                      /// DEGENOVA ACT. ///



         YES, I THINK THE GOVERNMENT UNDERSTANDABLY AND 

         REASONABLY IS LOOKING FOR A PATINA (APPEARANCE) OF COVER

         HERE AND THE COVER MAY COME IRONICALLY FROM THEIR OWN 

         PSYCHIATRIST WHO WILL FIND THAT WHILE MR. KACZYNSKI IS 

         NOT INSANE, HE DOES HAVE A MENTAL ILLNESS AND THEREFORE 

         THAT IS GOING TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT THE COVER THEY NEED

         TO GIVE UP THE DEATH PENALTY AND TAKE THE GUILTY PLEA 

         WHICH I THINK WOULD BE VERY RESPONSIBLE THING FOR THE 

         GOVERNMENT TO DO IN THIS CASE.



                        /// END ACT. ///



PROSECUTORS REJECTED A PLEA DEAL EARLIER BECAUSE MR. KACZYNSKI 

INSISTED THAT HE BE ALLOWED TO WITHDRAW HIS GUILTY PLEA IF AN 

APPEALS COURT WERE TO RULE THAT POLICE HAD IMPROPERLY SEIZED 

EVIDENCE FROM THE MONTANA CABIN WHERE HE LIVED.



A RULING ON MR. KACZYNSKI'S MENTAL COMPETENCE COULD COME AS EARLY

AS JANUARY 22ND. (SIGNED)



NEB/JBM/KL  



14-Jan-98 1:36 PM EST (1836 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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