Tribune-Herald
April 11, 1991
Feazell testimony continues
Reputation hurt by series, he says
By Tommy Witherspoon
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Charles Duncan’s 10-part television series about Vic Feazell damaged Feazell’s reputation, ruined many of his personal and professional relationships and humiliated, shocked and enraged him, Feazell testified Wednesday.
The former district attorney, known for his emotional and effective jury arguments as McLennan County’s chief prosecutor, spent Wednesday in front of a jury again, this time as the plaintiff in a libel trial.
Feazell, who resigned as district attorney in September 1988, is seeking $52 million from Duncan, a former investigative reporter for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and the Belo Broadcasting Co., which owns Channel 8 in Dallas. The trial is in its fifth week.
Feazell alleges that Duncan’s series, which aired in 1985, inaccurately characterized his prosecutorial record, implied he accepted bribes to dismiss cases and was crafted to maliciously discredit him.
Duncan and Belo executives have defended the episodes, which they ‘say were accurate, balanced and fair reporting on a public official.
They have said that Feazell’s libel suit reflects his desire to “slay the messenger” for spotlighting his performance in office.
Feazell said his decision not to give Duncan a videotaped interview for his series proved a wise one after he saw outtakes, or unaired footage, of interviews with Duncan’s sources. Feazell said Duncan frequently took quotes out of context and regularly distorted information.
“When I saw the movie Edward Scissorhands, I thought of him, because he cut and spliced his interviews how he wanted to make them come out to suit his purpose,” Feazell said of Duncan.
Two classic examples of how Duncan took quotes out of context were a short news clip of Feazell’s 1982 victory party and an interview with former Waco Police Chief Larry Scott, Feazell said.
He was talking in general terms and responding to specific, leading questions from Duncan. It certainly helped destroy any relationship that Chief Scott and I ever had,” Feazell said.
Feazell said that before Duncan came to Waco in April 1985 to start research for his series, he and Scott had a good working relationship. He said Scott invited him to speak at a reserve officer graduation ceremony in January 1985 and was introduced by former City Manager David Smith as the “best DA we’ve had in the history of this county.”
After the constant barrage of Duncan episodes, people began to think that what he was saying about Feazell was true and started to treat him and his staff differently, Feazell said.
Feazell was president of the McLennan County Peace Officers Association at the time. After the series began to pick up steam, Feazell did not go to another meeting, he said.
“It was just too hard to deal with after that,” he said.
Feazell’s testimony will continue this morning.
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