After that PR nightmare, there was NO WAY the govt wanted a big trial for the weaver case. Way easier to give up $5 mil and end the issue, than to have a 3-year court trial at a cost of millions of dollars, with plenty of opportunities and targets for militant types to get riled up at. Just pay the money and let the case die. The guy suffered enough.
Yes, the feds definitely over-reacted in that case. However, he should have surrendered, got a lawyer, and sued the pants off them. Putting your kin in the middle of a gunfight is just not the right move. you surrender, get representation, and you fvck them mercilessly in court. He had rights. But letting shit get ugly like that is not a good move. Enduring a standoff - those poor kids having to sit there with their mother's body for several days... very horrible. Just surrender and get F Lee bailey...
