Change in Olson Defense Planned, Her Attorneys Say

After receiving new evidence from the prosecution, attorneys for Sara Jane Olson said at a hastily called court hearing Friday that they are changing the focus of her defense and will ask for a continuance of her April 30 trial.

Olson, 54, is charged with conspiring to kill two Los Angeles police officers by placing bombs under two squad cars while allegedly a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army in 1975.

Until now, Olson’s attorneys, Shawn Chapman and Tony Serra, have contended that their client did not belong to the SLA and was not in Los Angeles on Aug. 22, 1975, when the bombs were planted.

Chapman and attorney Stuart Hanlon, who appeared on Serra’s behalf Friday, did not give details about how they plan to change Olson’s defense, and most of Friday’s hearing was behind closed doors in the chambers of Superior Court Judge Paul Fidler despite objections from the district attorney’s office.

Fidler also told defense attorneys Friday that he is uncomfortable with the financial arrangement his predecessor in the case, Superior Court James Ideman, approved for the defense.

Olson, who was not in attendance Friday, has been declared indigent, but Ideman did not put a cap the expenses and hours for which her court-appointed attorney, Chapman, could bill the county.

“My understanding is [that] while there may be a cap on the hour rate, there is no cap on how much can be billed,” said Fidler, who added that he plans to work out a spending cap with the defense before signing any more bills.

Friday’s hearing was called by defense attorneys, who refused to even tell the prosecution what it was about. After arriving in court, Chapman and Hanlon immediately asked Fidler to meet behind closed doors.

Chapman said the defense wanted to discuss the 2,700 pages of new evidence recently received from prosecutors. “We’re changing the focus of the defense,” said Chapman, urging the judge to listen to specifics in chambers.

Initially, Fidler said court rules prevented him from meeting privately.

“If it can be discussed in front of prosecutors, it can be discussed in open court,” he said.

Then, Fidler agreed to go into chambers so Chapman and Hanlon could try to persuade him otherwise. He took the prosecutors and a court reporter with him.

An hour later, they emerged.

Fidler then said that he felt the conversation was appropriately held in his chambers. He gave a brief synopsis, saying the defense planned to ask for a continuance. The defense also plans to ask that handwriting evidence be suppressed.

Fidler said he plans to begin evidentiary hearings April 30, as scheduled, but will make up his mind after receiving written motions from the defense about whether the trial, which has been delayed several times, should be postponed again.