Judge Limits Time to Query Reno on Waco

A federal judge on Friday granted the Justice Department’s request to limit the duration of questioning that Atty. Gen. Janet Reno will face next week from lawyers for Branch Davidians who are suing the government over the 1993 Waco siege.

In a brief order, U.S. District Judge Walter Smith of Waco said the Justice Department’s request, filed a day earlier, “has merit and should be granted.”

The judge, who is presiding over the Davidians’ wrongful-death civil suit, accepted the government’s bid to limit Reno’s deposition Tuesday in Washington to two hours.

In seeking the time limit, the Justice Department noted the “heavy demands” of Reno’s job and said two hours would provide “ample opportunity” for questioning.

The plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Michael Caddell, agreed to the time limitation. But a second Davidian lawyer, Jim Brannon, rejected the request, describing it as “wholly unreasonable.”

“You just don’t tell a lawyer that he cannot cross-examine a witness,” Brannon said Thursday. “Not if you’re seeking justice.”

Reached Friday, after the plaintiffs’ deposition of former FBI Director William Sessions in San Antonio, Brannon expressed little surprise at Smith’s order.

“The only thing I have to say is that I disagree with that ruling and I don’t believe that people should be limited in such an important case on such important matters,” he said. “But I will, of course, abide by the judge’s order.”

The plaintiffs, whose case goes to trial in mid-May, want to question Reno about her approval of the FBI’s tear-gassing plan and final assault. The Davidians’ retreat erupted in flames several hours into the tear-gas operation.

Davidian leader David Koresh and about 80 followers died during that April 19, 1993, inferno, some from the fire, others from gunshot wounds. The government has long insisted the Davidians died by their own hand.