Cost Of Ruby Ridge Trials Downplayed Prosecutor Makes $20,000 Estimate At Boundary County Budget Hearing

When Boundary County Prosecutor Denise Woodbury filed murder and manslaughter charges in the Ruby Ridge case, residents were seeing red - as in red ink for county coffers.

But the two trials - one for FBI agent Lon Horiuchi and another for Randy Weaver’s friend, Kevin Harris - will not bankrupt this rural burg, Woodbury said.

“It will not be like the (prior) million-dollar cases,” she said, referring to Weaver and Harris’ federal trial. “I would guess this might be no more than about $20,000. But there is really no way to gauge this.”

Boundary County had a hearing Tuesday on its proposed $8.6 million budget for the coming year. The budget was prepared before Woodbury filed charges against the two men. No money was included for the trials, but the county typically sets aside $20,000 to $25,000 for capital cases.

“Since we didn’t budget for this, any expenses from the case will be dealt with on an emergency basis,” said county commissioner Murleen Skeen. That means the county will borrow the money and raise taxes the next year to pay off the loan. Idaho has a 3 percent cap on tax increases, so residents still would not face a huge hike, Skeen said.

“Rumors this is going to bankrupt the county are not true,” she said. “This is not going to cost us hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.”

For starters, Woodbury said Horiuchi and Harris both have their own attorneys. That means the county will not have to pay for public defenders. That was the largest expense in a recent murder trial that ran up a $123,000 tab for the county.

Much of the evidence in the case has been collected and analyzed by experts for the federal trial, where Weaver and Harris were exonerated of myriad charges.

“Ballistic evidence has already been examined, forensic evidence had been examined and autopsies have all been done in this case. That will not have to be repeated,” Woodbury said.

Idaho Sen. Larry Craig also has offered help finding federal funds to pay for any federal witnesses called to testify in Boundary County, commissioners said.

“This is not going to be one of those big-ticket cases even if it were removed from Boundary County,” Woodbury said.

Agent Horiuchi is likely to request a federal trial, rather than face a jury in Boundary County. That could move the case to Boise or possibly Moscow, Woodbury said.

If that happens, Woodbury might request that the state attorney general’s office handle some court appearances to cut down on travel expenses.

“If something were to come up and they could handle it, it would be much cheaper,” she said. “The attorney general’s office has been very cooperative and is familiar with the case.”

Harris was charged with first-degree murder for allegedly shooting to death Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan. Degan was one of four agents doing surveillance on Weaver’s remote Ruby Ridge cabin. The Weaver family spotted the agents and a gunbattle erupted and led to an 11-day standoff in August 1992.

Weaver’s son, Sam, was killed as was his wife, Vicki, who was struck in the head by an FBI sniper’s bullet. Horiuchi is charged with involuntary manslaughter for Vicki Weaver’s death.

Horiuchi has yet to make a first appearance in court but has been served a summons. Woodbury said it’s unlikely Horiuchi will show up in person for a court hearing expected later this week. The agent’s attorney can appear for him or an answer to the summons can be submitted in writing, Woodbury said.

“We do not expect him to show and it will ease some of the security concerns on the county’s part if he doesn’t attend at this stage,” she said.

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