June 10, 1987
Prosecutor Blasts Feazell Defense
AUSTIN (UPI) – A federal prosecutor Friday criticized McLennan County District Attorney Vic Feazell’s defense attorney for his repeated attempts to introduce “revival type” evidence which has been rejected by the court.
During the second day of Feazell defense presentation, assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Frels denounced attorney Gary Richardson for asking “highly irrelevant” questions that raise “the most emotional and most tent revival type issues.”
Frels primarily complained about questions regarding alleged mass murder
Henry Lee Lucas. Feazell claims the government indicted him in retaliation for his grand jury investigation of Lucas’ bogus confessions to law enforcement agencies for murders he did not commit.
U.S. District Court Judge James Nowlin ruled that the Lucas matter was irrelevant to the bribery and fraud charges against Feazell, and could not be used in his defense.
The Waco district attorney is on trial for allegedly receiving bribes in return for dismissal of criminal charges, primarily drunken driving cases.
“I want the court to insist that he (Richardson) abides by your ruling,” Frels said.
“Your honor.” Richardson said, “He’s (Frels) one of the slickest lawyers to control the court I’ve ever seen.”
Richardson charged that the government has refused to comply with Feazell’s record requests.
“We’ve asked them for material for days. They’re holding material that we need to put on a defense,” he said.
But Frels countered that “Mr. Richardson’s comment is an absolute lie. What he wanted has been made available.”
Nowlin told the attorneys to stop bickering, and said “I stopped teaching high school several years ago ‘because he did not enjoy disciplining students.”
Meanwhile, the defense called three witnesses who said they had no knowledge of improprieties conducted in Feazell’s office.
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