Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 28, 1990 TAG: 9003280244
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Defense lawyer Richard Beckler, asked by a reporter outside the courthouse why he didn't put Poindexter on the stand, replied:
"Because I don't believe the government proved its case."
His lawyers sought to depict Poindexter, a pivotal figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, as a dedicated career Navy officer who would never lie to Congress.
"John Poindexter is and always has been a person of the highest . . . truthfulness, honesty and integrity," testified retired Adm. James Holloway III, a former member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Holloway was the last of 15 witnesses called by the defense during its 5 1/2-day portion of the 13-day trial.
Final arguments will be Friday morning.
Another character witness, Sen. John Chafee, said Tuesday that Poindexter "had the highest reputation for truthfulness and character."
Poindexter was administrative assistant to Chafee when the Rhode Island Republican was secretary of the Navy in the Nixon administration.
Former President Reagan testified for the defense, saying in a videotaped deposition shown to the jury last week that he doesn't think Poindexter made any false statements to Congress.
Poindexter is accused of concealing from Congress the U.S. role in a November 1985 shipment of Hawk missiles to Iran and Oliver North's military assistance to the Contras.
Earlier Tuesday, a document was introduced indicating that two congressional staff members were given details of a Hawk missile shipment to Iran on Nov. 20, 1986.
The document, called a stipulation, was part of Poindexter's effort to show that he did not try to conceal the U.S. role in the missile shipment from Congress.
Another defense witness, former White House computer expert Edd Barnes, testified Tuesday that National Security Council employees were encouraged to delete files from the computer system when they left the NSC.
by CNB