OREGON STANDOFF: PRE-TRIAL HEARINGS BEGIN FOR AGENT ACCUSED OF LYING ABOUT SHOOTING (LAVOY FINICUM)
Indicted FBI Agent W Joseph Astarita was in a Portland, Oregon courtroom Monday (May 21st) with his defense lawyers led by Washington DC lawyer Robert Cary. Cary once represented a US Senator accused of corruption (Ted Stevens) who was acquitted.
Prosecution experts testified about how they identified Astarita as the shooter when two bullets were fired in the direction of LaVoy Finicum, moments before Oregon State Police fired the shots that killed Finicum.
Mr. Cary said during the hearing that the aerial video from an FBI drone is fuzzy and proves nothing.
Cary also publicly stated (for the benefit of the jury pool in his July trial?) that Astarita has used up his personal savings to pay for his own forensic experts and sought federal funds to cover other expenses.
The government experts synchronized the FBI drone video with another video recorded by a passenger in LaVoy Finicum's truck, fellow Oregon Standoff protester Shawna Cox. They also analyzed the impact of one bullet that went through the roof of the truck along with the placement of all the law enforcement officers in the area plus the bullet's angle and trajectory.
Defense lawyers cross examined prosecution experts and brought out one of their own to discredit the prosecution experts.
Astarita is set to go on trial July 24th charged with three counts of making a false statement and two counts of obstruction of justice.
He is not charged with either killing LaVoy Finicum or injuring Ryan Bundy, a passenger in Finicum's truck.
Bundy is believed to be carrying shrapnel from one of Astarita's bullets.
Link below..........
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