But Budd said that if federal laws are violatedthat have not been vindicated in a state trial,the federal government has the option of steppingin.

After the initial acquittal in state court forassault and battery, he said, the federalgovernment decided to intervene on the groundsthat the police had deprived King of his civilrights.

This task, Budd said, was particularlydifficult because the prosecution had to show thatthe officers intended to violate King's rights.

"Nobody was able to say they [overheard a copsay], 'let's go out and get this guy King. let'sbeat him because he's Black," Budd said. "Therewas no smoking gun. We had to look atcircumstantial evidence."

And Budd denied that the Justice Departmentpursued the case for purely politicalreasons--even though the federal investigationbegan just seven months before former presidentGeorge Bush faced in election.

"The attorney general would be asking me whathappened with this case, but it was notpolitical," Budd said. "Nobody ever directed thecourse of this case, sending me down this or thatway.