We’ve been reporting on the Waco biker shooting since the Twin Peaks incident first hit the ‘net. The first clue that the authorities were covering up the police shootings: the cops arrested 100 people at the scene. Then the judge set bail at an absurd, unconstitutional $1 million each. Then the Justice of the Peace released the autopsy results on the nine people killed in the shoot-out/massacre – without specifying which victims were killed by police (easy enough as the cops were firing 5.56 ammo from rifles). And now that cases are heading to court, there’s more evidence that there’s a massive cover-up of the events of that day. wacotrib,com reports . . .
A state district judge ruled Tuesday that a Dallas attorney can have a copy of a Twin Peaks franchisee’s video of the May 17 biker shootout, but the judge barred the release of the video to the public.
Judge Matt Johnson of Waco’s 54th State District Court also granted a prosecution request to place a gag order in the Matthew Alan Clendennen case, preventing attorneys on both sides, law enforcement officers and witnesses from discussing that case only in the media.
In arguing his case for release of the video, Dallas attorney Clint Broden said he needs to review the video to prove his client’s innocence and to help him prepare for an examining trial set for Aug. 10.
Broden told the judge it “boggles my mind” that police and prosecutors can describe what is on the video but his client could not get a copy to help prepare his defense. He also said the Associated Press viewed the video and reported on it.
He argued the city’s contention that release of the video would impede its investigation is not valid because it posts videos of armed robberies on Waco Police Department social media accounts.
What possible justification could the judge have for withholding the video and putting a lid on the trial?
The judge said he placed the video under a protective order because he is concerned about tainting potential jury pools. Broden said he intends to appeal the protective order and the gag order to Waco’s 10th Court of Appeals . . .
Prosecutor Mark Parker told the judge that the state has every intention of complying with the rules of discovery but said the case is complex, is still under investigation and forensic testing is ongoing. He said the DA’s office will comply with discovery, but had not intended on doing so in “piecemeal fashion” one case at a time.
Yeah, there are a LOT of cases pending. The question is: will any of them get to the truth of the matter? Meanwhile note that the video belongs to Twin Peaks. And there are no cop or dash cam videos in evidence. Yet.