officers - The Black Vault

• •
.-..-.........-~.
"It is a time of tremendous accompanied by his wife in the ,
relief," s~id Paul DePasquale, a courtroom. "Only at 3:15 this after- ·
lawyer representing Timothy E. noon was he able to ·even.begin to
Wind, the probationary officer who reconstruct his life _in :a practical
was fired last May for his role in meaningful way. . . . The ·emothe
incident. · tional element, I think, it will be
Outside the courtroom, Powell's critical probably for several
sister, Leanne, 22, was weeping. "I hours." ·'
am ecstatic, so relieved," she said, Barnett said his client, Briseno,
wiping her eyes.
went directly home to be with his
Other relatives took sanctuary in wife and children, who avoided 'the
. a private waiting room off limits to courthouse because of :the pubscores
of reporters and camera licity. ·
crews, but Leanne Powell chose ·• · ·· ·· ·· '·: ·
not to hide. u was her brother's ''He is delighted that he i~ not
day of reckoning, and she wanted going to prison, that he is
the world to hear the good news. not a convicted felon," Barnett
"It hurts to see what they have said. "He can get on with his life.
done to my brother, to hear people This has been a terribly traumatic
telling lies about him," said the experience for him. It is unbelievunemployed
paralegal, who lives able the pressure that ·has been on
with "her brother and attended him sinc;e Day One."
most of the trial. "He did nothing Sgt. Stacey _C. Koon and his
wrong. And today I saw his first attorney tried to slip out a side door
real smile since March 3, 1991." _of the courthouse, but a near melee
Of the four defendants, only ensued when he was spotted by a
Powell agreed to withstand the throng of reporters, well-wishers
media frenzy and talk to reporters and protesters.
in a second-floor briefing_ room set A sterp-iaced Koon ref'!lseq to
up by court officiaJs. Asked if he respond to quest,ions as he· and his
had anything to say to. King, he . attorney were·whisked by sheriff's
replied: "Nothing." ln hindsight, depat(es to a waiting car -in the
would he have handled the arrest 4)frking lot< The two men ignored J
differently? "I don!t think I c_an/ protesters, some of whom shouted/
answer that," he said. "That would "You're guilty! You're guilty!"
be a hard one to answer."
Once in the car, attorney Darryl
Attorneys for the other defend- Mounger shifted into reverse, and
ants said the emotional toll of the higJ;t-tailed out of the parking lot.
trial had been great on their -eli- : A stream of angry protesters :ran
ents, and they simply did not want after the car, followed by camera
to confront the media.
crews and reporters.
"He was . . . psychologically Inside the courtroom, an upbeat
[battered] in substantial measure Powell was taking about his plans
[and] his life was placed on hold for for an evel)ing celebration. "I.am'
almost 14 months by this incident," not going to tell you where it !is,":
DeP~squ~l.e ~~id of_~ind, who was he said s_miling.
;
b._ -------