The Waco Citizen from Waco, Texas • Page 1

The Waco FRIDAY 270 I VRO, of the entrants for the Miss Waco Pageant, to he held at Ox onvention enter on Saturday July 18 at M3 pm 1 is the laughter ot and Mrs Manuel am of kiplmg Waco She en lloved at tin1 le xas Ranger Hallof ame Brazos Trails By BILL FOSTER Publisher. The Waco Citizen Famous Names In Waco v.xï .1 Nis VV Hi ka M. I' II KMM, I VK Kar IH VV Sh vv We ird iite fu ve ai joo! Iton Ra.pl av the nati tnh xpo il was ve 1 Your home-town community newspaper MI 60 WACO. rtXAS, I RIDA V. Jl 12.

1V87 664100 NL MBliK Waco Attorney Talks About Payments W1H KOSTtR Fditor Choking slightly and his voice trembling. Waco Attorney ket tier testified I uesdav ahout his firms relationship with District tt made a decision to cooperate on July 1986. he said in response to juesuom from prosecutor Jack Frels basis was became it was the nghi thing to do and I had struggled with it for a long time Kettler said his attorney Hills Raukmd, "fold me even it I cooperated I could still be prosecuted made my deci the news I Hal was jail for kettler sud atte saw rvartr ke das I 'A as at M. Hal ki mtentK)n was to get those cases dismissed." kettler said The cases he referred to were Sparks. Gregory Bass and Robert McCann, which ail have been presented in the governments case kettler said was aware he was splitting fees on the case with me ami Hall got somewhere between 200 and S1500 each." the attorney said was re Is asked "He agreed to hold all three for awhile before filing in counts court" fhey were not prosecuted." ket tier asked me if i was sharing fee monies between anyone but me.

Ha and Clark and I told him no kettler testified progressed he had more difficulty talking to I cases "I had taiked him in mid a hi nit the larry Bunch case He me how much I charged for a vase with more than him retarv told I enougl ne eai hat Hai one uw; ana 1 to each dwi ha not vhafgi ii ey were getting kettler sard had happened than once and particularly with Burx'h He said told hm he a campaign debt of between S'o -MM) and $80.000 August 1986 Nir kettler said he had not signed an agreement with the government for his testimony Gars Richardson, attorney tor Defendant did not object open court to the attorneys testimony He did object to transenpis of the tape recording after Keitier said some words were missing FBI Agent irtis Henschen testified he picked up the taped versation between kettler and on Sept one du after was arrested and charged the government FBI Vgent Thomas handwriting analvst the examiner of question documents told 'he jury ic had signed a number ot documents which had assistant das initials on them Fie said on several there was an attempt to the handwriting lieanna Fitzgera rst assistant DA for McLenna- County about her different roles in the office after being hired bv 1 February 1983 Her testimony included how assistants would sign Jismissa. slips what you ask ne he writ Richardson ask swered WKPM DW Hie anticipated taped recordmg ot a conversation between Attorney kettler and Vic was not heard Wednesday morning a-' the government again experienced difficulties with the equipment Jack Frels. prosecuting at tor ney. continued to question kettler about cases he had received cooperation from the DA on. how the money as be split He related convi himse A astir and bet wet jurv in talking in 1986.

tt IK ICC DA hm he and Hail paign went him an he knew hi donated to Hal me 1 SHi OUgiu was a wert given kettler ittomeys would about cases suet Bark)w and VV hit taixi Bl Sime come rigs diH earlv fiat in xt i rie 'ther iaw if thev me in I vers bet ant ate a- CK.S -vv he yers him and now had better get sad he and 1 about 1 and made by not made ru ng a hadn't sup he was DA side, ket tor each other She said many straight to as, Ciuy ox, Jin ney Fanning if himself from attomevs she said he did while he was preparing for capital murder Testifying or Monday Curtis Hand McLennan County Adult Probation Officer Hands testimonv related the han A Hall had cor ach pnor to his lie in kind 00 barging him rent pnof i egr estab Ht He a vgaf in ear kc parif 'a 3 laifH au ass; let and 19" court he reiaved his partner Ha recommended me case. Ha. am 1 the rttler runni VI ng ja? 1 the froi liste He DA sak iaiK an ks tamilV were thev aiw that vone Zoo Issue Re-Emerges campaign, I ot longterm goals tor the Centex will be divussed in a Julv vitv meeting it was announced i a alter a Central lexas gic.i! A Bi'taitka! k. asked the council wk'tnr its in the dehate txn ween that want to keep the place and others favoring Mack Hardin president ot the Sol let said a proposed SI mUinni cits alknation to a museum ihieaiens funding that otherwise might tof rekkatmg tlie I he biggeM Hh entex per MMinel and tkimns. Hardin sitd is kiH'Wing it will slav at acit Madison Regional tn it it will lx a me run Park Hie saul Hardin, is ot Ox1 five URirist atiractions Waco I mil the council gr es a clear an swet, fundraising Ixmg hivausi do not know what will he done with then money, said Hardin I ater in the meeting, Mayor IXoid Sibley put the issue on July 7 agenda at the request of laNelle McNamara.

wIm urged membeis of llw awncd to attend In other action luesday. Me Samara unravelled the telephone to count calls to new intormation line ting to Iter calls wen made during a three dav monitoring ivnod Last week incilman Jas I asked the citv to sase pajxr bv decreasing mate, in his briefing packet, ex plaining that it he wanted detailed in formation 011 an issue lie would ask lot it its Sec retarv Sana ornwell agreed to give him a smaller packet after telling larsen that cits coun cilmen ihouk) rtxeise copies ot hkls, charts and cancelled checks On another matter, larsen and coun cilman Sim Jack askcxl Deputy its Manager John Hatchel gise all courtcd tmnnhers ot to specific questions that currently areonts given to mdisidual council memlxns who ask the questions Hatchel to hiHH)r tlx request Attorney Dan appeared before the council to notify them that I tne Products is expanding its plant on Jewell Drive by ap proxunately 40.1100 square feet with funds from an anticipated $1 6 million industrial development hood Die bonds are not financed by city ectiv on dwi attoniev at kettkri "Hetore election we referred each on cases, cnmina and the tee arxS he got civil cast's anu there we spia the fee kettler testified assisted in his kettler said "bul town when be was sw Vfter his election our relationship was and we taiked to him about cases and I was even handling tents kettk slki "I dealt it du drug the the jury I did not he wav testifying didn't him often because I handled most the criminal Cienerally sjxaking kettler tokl jury it he had a case he needed help on I would him hat kind ot Frels asked case would be dismissed or reduced kettler answered to other assistant s. kettler sud he continued to deal with them on other criminal cases a client came with dwi, I would talk to an assistant about it different circumstances it might take longer Then I wouki go to 1 it would he I thought I could make a higher tee Kettler said He testified to handling two cases in early 19NJ for Waco attomev Dxk Clark and another in Mas, 1983 neser talked to lark about the cases, he went to Hall. Hall came to me and I went to the DA." kettkri testified kettler the hat the DA sud i Hall to harxlle the Hen kettk-t said Vter 1 out who wj' conversations with hegar and we talked several times Intornution hied on the case kettler sakJ 1 vx atti'rrxs sak! he was hired to represent a co-defendant in a murder case the courtroom came to and said sou can tor get Henrs he upset over was states case going kettler testified the same time I ap to represent a client tor a capital murder charge arid didi like that he DA filed nfonnaiKin 01 the case on ket tier testified Hall returned a S' mk to the filing "After I had more trouble with I and told HaiJ he wouki have to talk to I ket tier toki the jurv went oser there Hall told ic wants a piece ot the action and he wanted Hall to cases and not rels asked hat did he mean bs piece of the actum wanted of the money." Kettler replied was svHjr Frel queried "I remember saying anything, kettler answered, "generally that is what it would take iti business over there, kettler testified as the jurv listerxsJ intently arrangement was. ic would get a third, each of us wouki get a third I agreed with Hall, but neser with Kettler said "The end of agreement began in 1985 when I became aware of insestigaikHi in he told the jury kettler said he discussed the sestigatKHi with Hall told him it was over and I would do it again Hail didn give me any oser u.

he just accepted it In 1986, Kettler said he talked wuh law enforcement of finals, when he was subponeaed to (he Austin grand jurv In May the FBI took a of his handwnung He appeared before the grand jury in June. July and dung of an arrest warrant on James Tauver an earixr witness in the governments case Kettler was Fauser's attorney Waci Ron testified Mondas ahout his and his partner, ken Crow's relationah with His testimony dealt mainly 0.000 his firms had oontnbuted campaign Mtxxis said he and Crow had supported I elipe Reyrta in the DA 'ace and after won the primary thes discussed the situation do civil and cnmina and row dies criminal cases." he tokl the jurv Moody a native who sersed a term county judge of kaufman County tv'id the jury, he and row went to atxi asked do for him told us about his cam paign debt Moody said a fundraiser lgv we gave him S5cx 1 a ah a firm check and 2,2 50 each cash a second fundraiser Se; tember 1984. we gase him a S4o0 firm cIxvk and SZ.30C)each cash Moody slid thes did not get and did not expect receipts Ihe goxernment offered into evidence of campaign statements listing contributions Seither of the cash contnbutions ns andC row were reported His testimony was first heard hs Judge James Sow tin Vter he heard Moody the was brought in and he repeated his statements I nder cross examination bv Richardson. said he had guilts to a misdemeanor tax esasion charge for taxes he owes on income received in if he wac facing a jail term as part of his agreement with the government. Moody said he did not know because he had not been sen teixed Moody said he and row began talking to law enforcement officials the latter part of Jones, Assistant ashier ot Texas Satnmal Bank, produced nvords of the 1 jc)int banking acvount and safetv dejxisit box 11 ds Schmedthorst.

Vice and ot Republx Bank, testified concerning an ac count for the Mclennan County Special rimes I nit on which a check had been wntten to IXm Hall Fhe check was for $6,500 and by 1 and John Ben Sutter In the corner on the face of the check was written to the at lomey of Rxhard Bowers FBI Robt testified next about giving hand wnting samples to the government criJss Ricliaidson asked exonerated replxxi my opinion no kettler Frels kettler vud he had not continued splitting tees with DA after he ear ned of the governments in 1985 ()r. May 1985 suited kettler his office During the eon versation. kettler said. wanted to know what going on and what records were being poneaed would tell him some things hut some things i was reluctant to tell him and did not tell him He tame to my office again in late before I was to appear before rs June and sud giving any straight nde this out May the grand ou are not answers you going! with me he asked Referring to notes of the saiion. ketter said.

ic told him word 1 hear from the grand jury have been toki to or get off the pot Frels asked. is thes ketter responded, I At tomeys office He hitnev Fanning and Ciuy Cox had gotten subptmeas and probably Jim Bark'w. Ron Moody and Crow would be getting subponeas I toki him our secretary, Barbara Hilliard had been subponeaed and had hired an attomes He wanted to know if sne nad neen granted immunity, but I told him 1 didn't know believe she had been granted immunity kettkr si id he toki "He was trving to keep nx on his kettler said "It was ot a pep talk Farlier in the said, he represented Richard Bowers, a client ot Halls, charge of delis ers of drug hsdromorphone. and at the time almost $50.000 was confiscated Bowers entered a of guilts and received 10 sears The state a sun to forfeit the money after his Hail toki nx he had reached an agreement to return a portion of that to our law firm Ihe DA gave us a check for sfoou We had charged Bowers 12.000 to handle the case was all cash except the $6,500 from the ketter tokl the jury and I had a consersatior about the check he wanted to it and gise one third to ic and we wcHiki pocket the rest I wanted it. because it was a check and traceable and I did not want to pocket it agreed and we agreed to him one third less we wouki hase to pay on kettler said was paid Raving of the 45 minute tape began at 2 20 Wednesdas Ii was hard to hear and understand The jury, defendant and attorneys were wearing earphones and had transenpis of the tape to foiktw Pnor to txmg turned on ket toki the jury his lawyer was negotiating an agreement with the government tor his testimony have signed an agreement at present tmx Kettler said relates to this It says I would plead guiits to a but 11 is opened ended Fix fekinv would be tax evasion but my lawyer is stiii working on Kettler loU the jury.