FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                         CRM
FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1995                              (202) 514-2008
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


    JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STATEMENT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT PROCEDURES



     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Jo Ann Harris, Assistant Attorney General
for the Criminal Division of the Justice Department issued the
following statement today:


     "During the past two days of Congressional hearings on the
tragedy in Waco, a long-standing Justice Department practice has
been badly mis-characterized.  Documents have been produced at the
hearing which suggest that the Justice Department requested the
Treasury Department temporarily hold-off from interviewing
potential witnesses in the Justice Department's criminal
investigation of David Koresh and the Branch Davidians.  Such a
request would not be the least bit unusual.

     "The Department often requests that Congressional committees
and other agencies of the federal government temporarily refrain
from pursuing investigations which could compromise and interfere
with our criminal investigation.  It is simply bad law enforcement
to conduct simultaneous interviews with potential criminal trial
witnesses.  This is Prosecution 101, and any prosecutor worth his
or her salt should know it."  

                                 
95-409