Page 10 THE BATTALION
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1978
Doctor X’ acquitted of murder
United Press International paper reporter, was cleared of Jascalevich, who was declared in- pound and could not have survived V-F JL JL O Vi ^ V-F A JL X O XvXvXc^XA vVi I
HACKENSACK, N J. — Dr. charges he killed the patients with nocent on all three counts, sat in the ground or embalmed tissue '—* |X
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United Press International
HACKENSACK, N.J. — Dr.
Mario E. Jascalevich Tuesday was
acquitted of murder in the deaths of
three hospital patients 12 years ago,
bringing to a close the longest crim
inal case in the state’s history.
Jascalevich, the surgeon who was
nicknamed “Doctor X” when his
case was first publicized by a news-
paper reporter, was cleared of
charges he killed the patients with
overdoses of curare — a muscle re
laxant originally used by certain
South American Indians to poison
arrows — while they were hos
pitalized for routine surgery.
The jury returned the verdict
after deliberating for less than three
hours over a two-day period.
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Jascalevich, who was declared in
nocent on all three counts, sat
calmly at the defense table as the six
men and six women on the jury
were polled.
Spectators in the courtroom
broke into applause when the ver
dict was announced shortly after 11
a.m.
The panel began deliberations
Monday in the 8-month-old trial of
the Argentine-born physician.
Jascalevich, 51, of Englewood
Cliffs, N.J., had been on trial since
February for allegedly murdering
the patients at Riverdell Hospital in
Oradell, N.J., in 1965 and 1966.
After deliberating for 45 minutes
Monday, the jury recessed to a local
motel where it was sequestered.
Before retiring, however, the
panel asked for the transcript of tes
timony from Dr. Frederic Rieders,
a Philadelphia-area toxicologist who
said curare was an unstable com
pound and could not have survived
in the ground or embalmed tissue
for 10 years.
Rieders, who examined the re
mains of the three alleged victims,
said his tests determined there was
no curare in two of the bodies and
he said the curare he detected in the
third must have been planted there
after it was exhumed by authorities
when they reopened the case in
1976.
The case was reopened following
a series of investigative articles by
New York Times reporter Myron A.
Farber, who was jailed for refusing
to turn over his notes to the court.
The jury had to decide if Jas
calevich was the innocent victim of a
frame-up, as the defense claimed, or
if, as the prosecutor charged, he was
a “calculated murderer” who spent
more than 10 years covering his
tracks.
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By DILLARD STONE
Battalion Reporter
Depending on who you talk to,
Texas A&M University’s proposed
student government constitution is
either necessary, or it’s an unneces
sary rehash of the same old student
government. And then there are
those who favor both the constitu
tion and other major reforms at the
same time.
“We need this document,” said
Bobby Tucker, student body presi
dent.
On the other hand: “It doesn’t do
enough,” said Laura Brockman,
president pro tempore of the se
nate. “It doesn’t do anything to
make student government more
substantial. ”
Students will vote on the pro
posed document in Thursday’s fall
elections.
Upon two-thirds vote of the senate,
the executive vice president would
assume the presidency. If he fails to
receive the required vote, a presi
dent would be chosen from among
the five vice presidents.
“Other than that, it doesn’t
change much,” Paterson said.
Joe Beall, vice president for
external affairs, is against the
new constitution on the grounds
that it does not make any sub
stantial changes in student gov
ernment.
Such inconsistencies have led to
last year's problem over the
adequacy of the student body
president’s grade point ratio, as
well as to jurisdictional prob
lems between the legislative vice
presidents and the executive
branch.
The new constitution is virtually
the same as the old one that was
passed in last year’s spring election.
That constitution was thrown out
this semester when the Judicial
Board ruled that the constitution’s
election ahd been handled improp
erly.
The constitution under which
student government now operates is
full of inconsistencies, according to
Tom Paterson, executive vice presi
dent. Such inconsistencies have led
to last year’s problem over the
adequacy of the student body presi
dent’s grade point ratio, as well as to
jurisdictional problems between the
legislative vice presidents and the
executive branch.
Paterson said the new constitu
tion explicitly states what is to be
done in the case of inadequate
grades, so student government will
not be slowed due to this issue.
One major change in the docu
ment is the selection of a student
body president in the event of the
president’s resignation or removal.
And therein lies the crux of the
matter.
Joe Beall, vice president for ex
ternal affairs, is against the new con
stitution on the grounds that it does
not make any substantial changes in
student government.
'T’ve been in student government
for four years,” he said. “Every year
I’ve seen a new document. It really
isn’t necessary. If we really needed
changes, we could present amend
ments.”
A new constitution, if proposed,
should make major structural
changes in student government,
Beall said.
“I’ve been exposed to several dif
ferent systems of student govern
ment, and I think we should look
into other possibilities for the ar
rangement of student government,”
Beall said.
He currently is serving as presi
dent of the Texas Student Associa
tion, an organization of Texas uni
versity student governments.
Beall said that Texas A&M’s stu
dent government is more inefficient
than that of several Texas schools.
One major inefficiency results from
a question of jurisdiction between
vice presidents and the executive
branch.
“Vice presidents carry out execu
tive functions, but they’re legisla
tive offices,” he said. Legislative
committees should concentrate on
research, he said, leaving execution
to the executive.
At the last student senate meet
ing, Beall unveiled his own idea of
how student government should be
organized.
He recommended that the five
vice presidents be abolished,
replaced by three new ones:
nal Affairs, External Affairs,
Projects. These three vice
dents would be placed under
executive branch, instead
legislative branch, as is now
Beall also stated that he was
posed to the new constitute
cause there had been a laci
adequate research into altei
possibilities for student
ment.
However, Paterson said that)
constitutional conventions, opes
any student, were held last sprii(
consider a new constitution s
dent input was significantly laefe]
he said.
In addition, Paterson
neither Beall nor any of the s
in opposition to the constitute:
tended the conventions, nor
they propose any reforms
rules and regulations committer
Beall said that he had been
with other projects at the timedl
constitutional conventions.
He also said that he
in
•T
saiu mat ne snouio |j c „
have had to become involvedt l
barn is
workings of the rules and ri| ^ ^
lations committee, since his arr,
knowledge is external affairs.
“Why should I, as someone
terested in another area of stai
government, take it upon mysel
draft another constitution?
asked.
Tucker, student body
dent, takes yet a third m
the issue. He compromai
tween those who favor thi
constitution and those ichc
pose it and want to see a
tural reorganization of iti
government.
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“That’s what the rules and
lations committee is for —toll
alternatives,” he said
didn’t.”
Tucker, student body pi
takes yet a third view on the
He compromises between
who favor the new constitutiot
those who oppose it and want I
a structural reorganization of
dent government.
“Something does need tobei
as far as reorganizing student
ernment goes," Tucker said,
we need this document.”
Tucker said, like the com
tion’s proponents, that he
like to see the discrepancies a
old document discarded.
“We need it (the new com
tion) so that we won’t have to
ate under what we’ve got now,
said.
Austin Sterling, vice preside:
rules and regulations, isalsoin
of both the constitution and a
ganization of student govern
Sterling said that his main
for pushing the new constituti
that the students approved it
year, and they should have
chance to do the same this year
Sterling also stated that his
timents during last year’s com
tions were much the same as
in favor of structural change.
“I urged rules and regulation!
year to take it slow and do itrij
he said. “But my cries fell on
ears.”
He, too, indicated that pro]
such as Bealls were not presenli
last year’s conventions.
Sterling also said he believes
reform should be attempted in
dent government, but only afteil
new constitution is adopted.
“Passage of this constifnli
would not h^d up any evaluatii
any new systems,” L _ ' J
he said.
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