OREGON STANDOFF FBI AGENT TRIAL: DEFENSE USES EXPERTS, ACCUSED AGENT ON STAND
".....jurors appeared significantly more attentive when W. Joseph Astarita, who identified himself as 'Joe Astarita' to the court, was sworn in about 3:50 p.m."
Maxine Bernstein "OregonLive" story 8/7/2018
Late today the accused FBI Agent W. Joseph Astarita took the stand at his trial in Portland.
Astarita denied firing his weapon and denied removing shell casings.
He testified for 40 minutes today and will resume testimony tomorrow. Much of the time was spent responding to his lead attorney Rob Cary's questions about his family background and why he joined the FBI and its "Hostage Rescue Team".
Astarita said he likes the HRT's motto "to save lives".
As the defense opened its case in the trial of FBI Agent W. Joseph Astarita, accused of lying about firing two shots in 2016 at a truck filled with Oregon Standoff protesters driven by LaVoy Finicum, it brought to the stand a forensics expert.
Matthew Nodel, who used to work for the Washington State Crime Lab's Tacoma office and now runs his own consulting company, presented the notion that the bullet that hit the roof of Finicum's truck came from a much wider angle than the prosection said.
Nodel said he doesn't believe that the prosecution's "rocker point" method can give an accurate path for a single bullet.
Statistician Clifford Spiegelman attacked the prosecution's use of a dozen or so shots to determine the bullet trajectory angle to a plus or minus five degree angle.
Prosecutor Gary Sussman questioned Spiegelman's opinion pieces critical of forensic science that claim forensic investigations of crime scenes lack science in their methodology.
Links below,,,,,,
Jeanette Finicum Video Report 8/7/2018
Maxine Bernstein "OregonLive" Story 8/7/2018
Statistician Clifford Spiegelman attacked the prosecution's use of a dozen or so shots to determine the bullet trajectory angle to a plus or minus five degree angle.
Prosecutor Gary Sussman questioned Spiegelman's opinion pieces critical of forensic science that claim forensic investigations of crime scenes lack science in their methodology.
Links below,,,,,,
Jeanette Finicum Video Report 8/7/2018
Maxine Bernstein "OregonLive" Story 8/7/2018
Are you attending? What's your sense now that the prosecution has rested.
ReplyDeleteAny idea why Astarita is charged and not the other HRT agent? It's pretty clear that the HRT guys fired the two shots, one of which went through the roof of the truck. Where was the other HRT agent? Is is clear that *he* could not have fired one or both of the shots?
I had considering attending but vacation plans changed so I have to rely on those who are there from Jeanette Finicum (LaVoy's widow) to any members of the MSM and so on.
DeleteBut why only this guy and not the others? Well, getting their testimony on the record was probably needed to help the case against the guy who fired even though the others are culpable.
Heck, someone got those shell casings off the ground after a long search in the snow.
The defense essentially contends and has contended that probably the Oregon State Police did the shooting. That's their game throughout.