McVeigh's trial set to begin March 31

DENVER (CNN) -- The trial of Timothy McVeigh, one of the defendants in the Oklahoma City bombing case, will begin March 31, 1997, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department said Friday.

"We can confirm. The date is March 31," said spokeswoman Leesa Brown.

McVeigh's defense attorneys asked to delay the trial until May, while prosecutors have been encouraging an earlier trial date, said CNN's Tony Clark.

Last month, U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch ordered separate trials for McVeigh and Terry Nichols -- also charged in the bombing -- saying it was the only way to provide a fair trial for the two suspects.

Nichols will be tried later and a date hasn't been set.

"Each defendant is entitled to a jury's separate and independent evaluation of the evidence received against him in any trial, regardless of the number of other persons alleged to have participated in the crimes charged," the judge wrote.

Both defendants had urged the judge to grant separate trials because, they said, their defenses would be based in part on placing the blame on the other. Prosecutors had opposed the defense motion, saying that trying the two men together would provide a jury with a full picture of the crime.

McVeigh and Nichols could face the death penalty if convicted of conspiracy and murder charges in the bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building, which killed 168 people and injured more than 500.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Special Section:

• CNN - Oklahoma City Tragedy

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• Oklahoma bombing judge mulls closed-circuit TV admission - November 14, 1996
• Prosecutors in Oklahoma bombing accused of delay tactics - Novmber 13, 1996
• Oklahoma City bombing defendants to be tried separately - October 25, 1996

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