1996-1997 The Unabomber: A Chronology Before the Bombings 1978-1982 1985-1987 1988-1995 1996-1997 The Trial Special Report: A Question of Competency Trial Transcripts The Unabomber: A Chronology Documents from the Case Reports from Court TV & American Lawyer Media The Players The Bombings The Counts Against Kaczynski The Unabomber's Manifesto Building the Unabombs February 14, 1996 David Kaczynski begins contact with the FBI and indicates his belief that his brother may be the Unabomber. He indicated to the FBI that he does not want any of the reward money involved with the case. April 3, 1996 Kaczynski is arrested at his Montana cabin. April 4, 1996 Kaczynski is charged with possessing the components of a bomb based on evidence found in his cabin. The charge, though a felony, is relatively minor. Legal analysts following the case speculate that the government is merely taking time building a case and that more charges will follow. Kaczynski makes his first appearance in federal court in Helena, Montana. When asked if he is mentally impaired, he says, "No." April 5, 1996 Investigators searching Kaczynski's Montana cabin diffuse a live bomb. April 8, 1996 The Kaczynski family releases a statement through its lawyer, Tony Bisceglie, saying that their "deep sympathies go out to the victims and their families." Through Bisceglie, Kaczynski's mother, Wanda, says that it was right to arrest her son because he needed to be stopped if he was the Unabomber -- but she doesn't believed he could be. April 15, 1996 The Washington Post reports that the names of 25 math professors at the University of California--Berkeley were found on a list in Kaczynski's Montana cabin. Federal officials reportedly contact the twenty-five individuals to warn them of the list. April 19, 1996 In Helena, Montana, U.S. District Judge Charles Lovell denies a defense motion to free Kaczynski because of news leaks about the Unabomber case and the intense media coverage surrounding it. Kaczynski's defense appeals the motion to the Supreme Court, which denies it in October. June 17, 1996 Preparations are made at the federal courthouse in Sacramento for an expected indictment of Kaczynski, including the installation of surveillance cameras and the arrival of an armored car to use to transport Kaczynski. Police and traffic engineers make arrangements to handle crowds and traffic arising from an expected high-profile trial. June 18, 1996 Kaczynski is indicted by a 21-member federal grand jury in Sacramento on ten counts relating to the bombing attacks on Hugh Scrutton, Charles Epstein and Gilbert Murray in California, and David Gelernter in Connecticut. June 23, 1996 Kaczynski is transported to county jail in Sacramento to await his first appearance in court. June 25, 1996 Kaczynski appears briefly in court to plead not guilty to charges September 1996 Kaczynski family tells "60 Minutes" that Kaczynski sent them letters telling them not to contact him, even if his mother died. "There is nothing that could ever be important enough so that you would have to get in touch with me," Kaczynski wrote to his brother. October 2, 1996 A federal grand jury in Newark, New Jersey, indicts Kaczynski in the 1994 mail bombing of Thomas Mosser, the only bombing for which the Unabomber publicly claimed responsibility. The Justice Department says it will try the New Jersey case after the Sacramento case is tried. Kaczynski's lawyer, Quin Denvir, says he plans to have the two trials combined because it would be more efficient and cost-effective. October 7, 1996 Supreme Court refuses to give Kaczynski a new opportunity to argue to a lower court that the government should not be allowed to prosecute him because news leaks had tainted the case. His appeal to the high court had contended that government actions "made the word 'Unabomber' and the name Theodore Kaczynski interchangeable." November 22, 1996 U.S. District Judge Garland Burrell sets the start date of Kaczynski's trial as November 12, 1997, granting the defense their request for additional time to prepare their case. March 4, 1997 Defense files motion asking to throw out all evidence seized from Kaczynski's cabin, claiming that the FBI distorted comments from his relatives in obtaining their search warrant. In a sworn declaration, David Kaczynski claims he only told the FBI he had suspicions his brother was the Unabomber, but the warrant made it appear that he believed that was the case, which did not "fit the tone or spirit of what I told the FBI." May 12, 1997 Defense files papers arguing that none of the evidence seized from Kaczynski's Montana cabin can be used against him because it was obtained by giving false and misleading information to a judge. The papers specify that DNA evidence found on two Unabomber letters "firmly excluded" Kaczynski from being a suspect. July 29, 1997 Burrell rules that Kaczynski's journals cannot be excluded, but says he will allow a late challenge to the FBI's search of Kaczynski's cabin in April 1996. July 31, 1997 Prosecution argues that government experts have a right to examine Kaczynski and asks that they be informed of any possible insanity defense by the defense. August 23, 1997 Defense lawyers argue against the use of a CD-ROM information retrieval system in court. The previous week, the prosecution filed papers requesting the use of such a system in order to make the proceedings more expedient. September 2, 1997 Prosecution asks the court for an independent psychiatric evaluation of Kaczynski. Defense argues in court that prosecution has no right to insist on independent psychiatric evaluation of Kaczynski at this point in the case. September 9, 1997 Defense argues against use of computers in the trial. September 16, 1997 Defense argues that either the prosecution turn over any records of psychological evaluations of Kaczynski. The prosecution argues such records don't exist. September 24, 1997 David Kaczynski says that if he is given the FBI's $1 million reward, he will share it with families of Unabomber victims. September 29, 1997 Magistrate Judge Gregory Hollows grants the defense limited access to the grand jury proceedings, though such records are usually confidential. October 1997 A Sacramento television station reports it has found a web site operated by someone named "Softkill" posted the names of 18 potential witnesses in the trial, along with suggestions to threaten them. October 2, 1997 Prosecutors tell Burrell that several potential witnesses in the case have been threatened, but decline to give details. October 6, 1997 Some six hundred prospective jurors begin filling out jury questionnaires. October 14, 1997 In papers submitted to court, defense claims Kaczynski suffers from paranoid schizophrenia. October 16, 1997 Los Angeles Times reports on documents acquired by defense that show sloppy scientific work by the FBI crime lab. The defense in the trial of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh used similar documents unsuccessfully to try and invalidate FBI evidence against their client. October 21, 1997 Defense outlines anticipated expert psychiatric testimony in brief to court. October 22, 1997 Burrell sets ground rules for psychiatric testing of Kaczynski. This proves to be futile, as Kaczynski repeatedly refuses to submit to such testing. October 29, 1997 Papers filed by prosecutors mention "non-bombing acts of violence" that they claim occurred early in Kaczynski's adult life, possibly before the Unabomber attacks began in 1978. Defense lawyers claim they refer to "some acts of vandalism" and are irrelevant to the trial. 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