Some Say Fortier's Release Coming Too Soon

[Judi Lynn]

Some Say Fortier's Release Coming Too Soon

By TIM TALLEY
Associated Press Writer

January 20, 2006, 9:04 AM EST

OKLAHOMA CITY -- With the scheduled release Friday of the star witness in the Oklahoma City bombing trials, some say Michael Fortier's prison sentence for not telling authorities about the deadly plot was not long enough.

Fortier, 37, has served about 85 percent of a 12-year sentence in federal prison. He received a plea deal in which he agreed to testify in the trials of bombing coconspirators Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.

Officials have declined to say exactly when and where Fortier will be released. Originally of Kingman, Ariz., Fortier will reunite with his wife, Lori, and their two children, said his attorney, Michael McGuire.

McGuire said Friday morning that he couldn't discuss whether Fortier would go into the witness protection program or what time he would be released, but he told CNN: "There's never been any reason to be afraid of Mr. Fortier. Never. He's never been anybody the government feared would do anything, even back in 1995."
(snip/...)

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-oklahoma-city-fortier,0,7265856.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Adding another article on Fortier:

Fortier has paid debt to society, prosecutor says

Murray Evans
Associated Press
Jan. 20, 2006 12:00 AM

OKLAHOMA CITY - A member of the team that prosecuted Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols for the Oklahoma City bombing says he thinks it is appropriate that the star prosecution witness in the case is about to be released from federal custody.

The U.S. Bureau of Prisons sent bombing victims and their relatives letters this week informing them that Michael Fortier would be released today. Fortier, who was taken into custody in August 1995, agreed to a plea deal and was sentenced to 12 years in prison for failing to tip off authorities to the deadly bombing plot. Good-behavior time credits are allowing him to get out now.

"I think it's appropriate. He has paid his debt to society," said Aitan Goelman, a Washington attorney who served on the bombing prosecution team. advertisement

"There are things on both sides of the scale. Knowing about a horrible crime and doing nothing to prevent it is on one side, and on the other side of the scale is the tremendous assistance he provided to the government in order to prosecute the guys who actually did the bombing."
(snip/...)

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0120fortier0120.html

[PSPS]

1. Some say ...

I always hate this, especially in a headline. You could write anything after "some say."

[sui generis]

2. you beat me to it!

I want to say, you're a goddamn reporter! Who says? Any time that phrase is used it is no different than rumor and gossip. Some say Anne Coulter is really a man. Some say bat boy is alive and well and working as a bank teller in London.

[ixion]

3. you can thank FAUX 'news' for making that type of attribution

acceptable in the mainstream press.

In my time writing for a newspaper (back in the 80's) this type of attribution was considered vague, and wouldn't get by a good editor.

I think it shows how far we've fallen.