Bomb trial judge called 'no-nonsense'

Associates say he'll prevent media circus

December 14, 1995
Web Posted at: 11:45 a.m. EST

From Correspondent Tony Clark

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (CNN) -- No sooner did new bombing trial Judge Richard Matsch arrive in Oklahoma City than he met with prosecutors and defense attorneys, canceled next spring's scheduled trial date, and left open the question of where and when the trial will be held.

Head down and with a determined gate away from the courthouse, Matsch said of his decision, "All of these things have to be determined."

It is that "take charge" attitude that has won Matsch praise in his home state of Colorado. "There couldn't be a better trial court judge to handle a case of this magnitude and complexity. He's a tough, fair, very bright, very hardworking judge," says Colorado Bar Association President Miles Cortez.

Matsch arrived Tuesday to replace Judge Wayne Alley, who was asked to step down because he was too close to the case against Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, who are accused of bombing the Oklahoma City Federal Building on April 19. The devastating truck bomb explosion killed 169 men, women, and children.

A former assistant U.S. attorney, the 64-year-old Matsch was appointed to the federal bench in 1974 by President Nixon.

He's no stranger to high-profile, controversial cases.

While on the federal bench, Matsch has presided over the desegregation of Denver schools; held then-U.S. Secretary of Health Otis Bowen in contempt of court for failing to set adequate standards for the inspection of nursing homes; ruled the Ku Klux Klan could march in Denver on the Rev. Martin Luther King's birthday; and presided over the trial of four members of the white supremacist anti-Semitic group known as "The Order." They were charged in the 1984 murder of radio talk show host Alan Berg.

Colleagues say Matsch is not easily intimidated and that he is a "no-nonsense" judge.

"There won't be lengthy times when the jury is taken out of the room. There won't be unnecessary bench conferences, sidebar conferences," says federal public defender Michael Katz.

It's a case that stirs immense emotion nationwide, and all eyes will be watching intently. But those who have worked closely with Matsch say he won't let it turn into a circus. "He's got experience in handling difficult cases with a lot of publicity," says Frances Koncilja, former president of the Colorado Bar Association. "He's not going to let that happen."

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Bomb trial judge called 'no-nonsense'

Associates say he'll prevent media circus

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