Randy Weaver Trial: 1993

Defendants: Randall Weaver, Kevin Harris
Crimes Charged: Conspiracy, murder, failure to appear for trial, interference with federal marshals, possession of illegal firearms, resisting arrest, violation of bail
Chief Defense Lawyer: Gerry Spence
Chief Prosecutor: Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Howen
Judge: Edward J. Lodge
Place: Boise, Idaho
Date of Trial: April 12-July 8, 1993
Verdict: Guilty of bail violation and failure to appear for trial, not guilty of all other charges
Sentence: 18 months in jail, $10,000 fine, 3 years probation

SIGNIFICANCE: In a troubling case that raised the specter of government persecution of innocent citizens for political and ideological reasons, a federal jury, because of misconduct and deception in the government's case, found Randy Weaver not guilty of shooting a federal marshal.

Randall Weaver, according to the U.S. government, was a white supremacist, affiliated with the notorious Aryan Nations, and a dealer in illicit weapons, who was determined to provoke a confrontation with the law even if it meant his death and those of his wife and children. With his wife, Vicki, and his friend Kevin Harris, he carried on a criminal conspiracy over many years to oppose the government and its officers. His home in the remote woods of northern Idaho's Boundary County was a "fortress," filled with automatic weapons. Clearly, he was a dangerous figure, against whom the government was justified in using extreme force.