AWAITING HIS DAY IN COURT

By PATRICK COLE

With an indictment apparently imminent, Timothy McVeigh and his lawyers are laying out his side of the story. TIME correspondent Patrick Cole submitted questions in writing to McVeigh, who replied last week but remains mum on the charges. Says McVeigh: "We'll address that one in court."

TIME: Do you think you can get a fair trial?

McVeigh: No, unless the trial is held a year from now and there are no unfair leaks from the government in between.

TIME: How did you feel after your arrest, as you left the courthouse with everyone booing and jeering?

McVeigh: The federal agents had been there several hours letting the crowd and media build up. Twice I asked for a [bulletproof] vest, but no one gave me one. When I walked out, the agents with me were an arm's length away from me. I expected to be shot and killed.

TIME: What about the press coverage you've received?

McVeigh: [They] take whatever the government feeds them, parrot it as the truth and don't try to confirm it on their own.

TIME: Do you consider yourself a prisoner of war?

McVeigh: I have never stated that I consider myself a prisoner of war.

TIME: Are you a member of a militia?

McVeigh: No.

TIME: What is your life in jail like?

McVeigh: They treat me fair here. It's not bad. I've run into minor problems, but all in all, the individuals are gentlemen.

TIME: What do you do in your idle time?

McVeigh: Well, there's not much to do in [an] 8-by-12 cell. I bounce a racquetball against the wall just like in The Great Escape, and I read. What do I read? Anything that's available.

TIME: Have you talked to any family members?

McVeigh: The FBI brought my father in on the second day I was here to try to get me to say something. Other than that, it's too much of a risk.

TIME: Is it true that you were denied counsel three times when you were arrested? Will you make this an issue?

McVeigh: It's true that I had trouble obtaining counsel. Whether I'll make it an issue or not, again, we'll see in court.

TIME: Whom in history do you admire the most?

McVeigh: I would say the courage and bravery of the Founding Fathers.

TIME: What is your opinion of the way the government handled the Waco incident?

McVeigh: It was very poorly handled. The use of force is definitely out of control.