Ex-prosecutor’s libel case reaches court
March 12, 1991
WACO (AP) – Jury selection began Monday in a $52 million dollar libel lawsuit filed by former McLennan County District Attorney Vic Feazell against a Dallas television station and former reporter.
Jury selection is scheduled to resume this morning in Waco’s 19th State District Court. Testimony could begin as early as this afternoon in the trial, which could last from three to five weeks.
Feazell alleges that former television reporter Charles Duncan libeled him in a 10-part series aired on WFAA-TV from June to August 1985.
Feazell filed the lawsuit in 1986 against Duncan, Belo Broadcasting Corp., and its parent company, the A.H. Belo Corp.
The parent company was dismissed from the lawsuit Monday morning in an agreement after attorneys for WFAA proved that Duncan never actually worked for the parent company.
Feazell contends Duncan’s series paved the way for a state and federal investigation into allegations that the prosecutor accepted bribes to dismiss cases.
Belo attorneys have said Duncan started his series after the inception of the federal investigation, which led to a bribery, racketeering and mail fraud indictment of Feazell.
A federal jury cleared Feazell of all charges in June 1987. Feazell resigned as district attorney September 1988.
Belo attorneys deny Feazell’s claims that Duncan’s series was malicious and filled with inaccuracies and defamatory statements. They say the series was fair comment on the performance of a public official.
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