FBI on Trial: Message from Jeanette Finicum
The criminal trial of FBI agent Joseph Astarita is coming to a close. I have been here each day, listening to the testimony. Watching the witnesses and wondering what the jury is believing and rejecting.
After approximately one week of testimony one of the biggest messages I walk away with is that the FBI treated the crime scene — where LaVoy was shot and killed — much differently than they had been taught and trained to. They walked all over the crime scene picking up pieces of potential evidence, ordered the Oregon State Police to turn off their body-cameras and refused to give individual statements to the criminal investigator assigned to learn the truth about the events leading up to the shooting of my husband. I wondered quietly, how many of us would have been allowed to write our own rules, not any one of us would be allowed to throw out the rule book without explanation or reason.
I have been providing video updates to the trial and offering some thoughts and feelings on my Facebook page, you can follow me here.
I wish it were otherwise, but the reality is that my family’s wrongful death case will be very expensive. I have been told that we will need to potentially depose dozens of individuals and retain several expert witnesses. If you are in a position to help financially, please make a donation, purchase a book, tshirt or Pocket Constitution. We need your help to stay in the fight.
Jeanette