Waco / Branch Davidians: U.S. prosecutor says he's stepping down

Mike Bradford, the U.S. attorney who won vindication for government actions against the Branch Davidians in Waco, announced his resignation Wednesday.

(...)

A particular source of pride, he said, was defending the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms against a $1 billion wrongful-death lawsuit that blamed the agencies for the deaths of 73 Branch Davidians after their 51-day standoff ended with a fire at their Waco compound on April 19, 1993. The plaintiffs also had alleged a government cover-up and conspiracy.

U.S. Justice Department officials in Washington, D.C., appointed Mr. Bradford to defend the government in 1999 after the original defense team pulled out of the case, citing a conflict of interest. A trial jury later agreed with Mr. Bradford's contention that the government had not been culpable.

"I think that was very important to federal law enforcement and to the country that we had an opportunity to get out to the public the other side of the story," he said. "I was very grateful with the opportunity to do that and very pleased with the way that came out."

Another notable case was last year's prosecution of several men in the murder of Jasper resident James Byrd Jr., a black man who was dragged to death behind a pickup truck by white supremacists on a remote East Texas road.
[...more...] [Need the full story? Read this]