FEDERAL JURY CONTINUES HUNT LIBEL DELIBERATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100610017-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2011
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: February 6, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00587
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R000100610017-8
MIAMI HERALD
6 February 1985
Federal jury continues
Bunt libel deliberations
By STEPHEN K. DOIG
Herald Staff writer
A Miami federal jury will con-
tinue this morning trying to decide
whether Watergate figure E.
Howard Hunt was libeled in 1978
by a Washington tabloid that
claimed Hunt was about to be
linked to the assassination of John
F. Kennedy.
The six jury members deliberat-
ed for two hours Tuesday after-
noon before U.S. District Judge
James Kehoe sent them home to
start fresh in the morning.
Controversial defense attorney
Mark Lane, a vocal critic of the
various investigations into Kenne-
dy's murder, was at his thunder-
ous best in his final argument,
calling the jury a "people's com-
mission" investigating the assassi-
nation.
"You are going to tell your
grandchildren about this one,"
Lane told the jury. "You are a
piece of American history."
Lane reiterated the stream of
char es he a raised during t e
-seven-day trial: The investigations
were flawed, important facts were
covered up, Hunt is a confessed
perjurer Hunt and the CIA hated
Kenn y. unt can t prove w ere
he was that day, Hunt's alibi
witnesses were CIA liars, and so
on.
`-"Why can't he leave us alone?"
Lane said loudly, pointing at Hunt.
"I don't mean my client. I mean
us!"
After proclaiming the truth of
the article, printed in the ultra-
conservative Liberty Lobby's
Spotlight tabloid, Lane hedged his
bets by arguing that it was only
the author's opinion and predic-
tions and hence not libelous even if
utterly false.
Hunt's lawyer, William Snyder
Mark Lane: Calls jury a
`people's commission.'
of Baltimore, in turn recalled the
testimon of ex-CIA employee Victor Marchetti, who wrote the
arri-cre-OnT who admitted on the
stand that his source was a
Washington rumor told b a
Penthouse columnist - who since
has denied telling it to Marc etti.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/02/23: CIA-RDP91-00587R000100610017-8