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