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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 26, 1989)
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Texas 77860 (409) 025-2225 Page 12 The Battalion Wednesday, April 26,1989 High court braces for Webster case Officials expect ‘extraordinary day’ with new test of abortion law WASHINGTON (AP) — The Su preme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a Missouri abortion dispute that has become its most clo sely watched case of the 1980s. Court officials are bracing for “an extraordinary day” at the usually placid building on Capitol Hill. State officials and the Bush ad ministration are urging the court to use the case to overturn or substan tially limit its 1973 decision that women have a constitutional right to abortion. Even if the court rules on the Mis souri abortion regulations narrowly, the decision will lie viewed as a ba rometer of the current justices’ com mitment to the 16-year-old ruling in Roe vs. Wade. The justices are considered closely divided as to the wisdom and contin ued vitality of the landmark deci sion. They will take their initial vote in the Missouri case Friday, discussing their views and beginning the proc ess of drafting ana redrafting opin ions to accompany the announce ment of the court’s decision, expected by July. In an attempt to sway the justices, Americans in record numbers have been writing and telephoning the court to express their views. Tens of thousands of letters arrive each day, and the court’s two switchboards were so flooded with calls that a rar ely used third board had to be acti vated. “Many people have indicated they’ve been asked to call by tele vangelists,” court spokesman Toni House said. “These people believe w’e are conducting a public opinion survey. We are not.” But court officials, reacting to the outpouring of public sentiment, will take unusual security measures Wednesday. Police lines will keep demonstra tors off court property, but House said 50 members of a group calling itself Oppression Under Target have informed the court of their plan to engage in civil disobedience that could lead to their arrest. “Pro-choice” and “pro-life” activ ists plan to conduct competing news conferences outside the court build ing. Inside the courtroom. House said, “We have no reason to believe the conduct of this oral argument will be any different, any less respectful than any other.” Court police said they would allow people to begin lining up at mid night for the chance of seeing the hour-long argument session that be gins at 10 a.m. EDT. Police said they expect hundreds to be in line when the building opens at 9 a.m. Between 150 and 200 members of the public usually can be seated in the imposing courtroom on a first- come, first-served basis. But because the justices and other court officials have reserved an un usually high number of seats for friends and family members for the argument, only 40 to 50 seats will be available for the general public, House said. Chief Justice William H. Rehnqu- ist refused to allow radio and tele vision coverage of the proceedings. But a record number of news me dia representatives — 113 — are to be squeezed into the courtroom’s f >ress section, where only 35 seats of- er an unobstructed view of the ac tion. Some journalists were turned away, told they applied too late to be accommodated. The Roe vs. Wade decision is based on the constitutional right to privacy. The court said a woman’s decision to have an abortion during the first three months of pregnancy must be left to her and her doctor. The court said states may inter fere in the abortion decision during the second trimester only to protect the woman’s health, and may take steps to protect fetal life only in the third trimester when the fetus can survive outside the womb. State authority to regulate abor tions after the first trimester was not made absolute, however. A federal appeals court, relyinj on Roe vs. Wade, struck down as iin constitutional five key provisionsd the Missouri law now under scm tiny: • A ban on the use of public b pitals or other facilities for,perform mg abortions not necessary to savei woman’s life. • A ban prohibiting any putt employee from performing or assisi ing an abortion. • A ban on using taxpayer monei for “encouraging or counseling women to have abortions. • A requirement that doctorsde termine whether a fetus reasonabli Ixdieved to be older than 19weeksii viable, capable of surviving outside the womb, bv determining lungnu turity and otner testing. • A declaration that the “life o( each human Ixegins at conception.” Prosecutor, defense attorney appeal for release of convict ARCADIA, Fla. (AP) — A defense attorney and a special prosecutor joined Tuesday in an ext raordinary appeal for the release of a man convicted in the poison ing deaths of seven of his children in 1967, saying his trial was unfair. “James Richardson did not receive a fair trial. James Richardson did not receive justice,” special prosecutor Janet Reno said about the man who has spent 21 years in prison after being convicted on one count of murder in 1968. Mark Lane, one of the 53-year-old former migrant farm worker’s appeal lawyers, argued before Circuit Judge Clifton Kelly that the state attorney and the De- Soto County sheriff at the time of the trial railroaded Richardson by manufacturing and encouraging per jured testimony and by withholding essential evidence from the defense. Now, the state and the defense “both say the judgment of conviction must be vacated,” said Lane, a Washington, D.C., lawyer and author who first alleged a frame-up in the case in his 1971 book “Arcadia." With former State Attorney Frank Schaub waiting his turn to speak before the judge, Lane said: “The ille gal actions of Mr. Schaub ... sought to distort the judi cial process and murder an innocent man.” Schaub has said he remains convinced of the de fendant’s guilt, and is suing Lane and attorney Ellis Ru bin for alleged defamation of character. Richardson, a black man convicted by a white jury, was sentenced to death in 1968 on his conviction of first-degree murder in the death of his 8-year-old daughter. His sentence was later commuted to life in prison. Richardson was applauded by many of the 120 spec tators when he entered the courtroom. A woman who later identified herself as stepdaughtei JannetteStanlev asked the judge: “Could 1 hug my father?” The judge nodded and the two embraced in the aisle. Reno, a state attorney from Miami appointed byGov Bob Martinez, to determine if Richardson received i fair trial in 1968, agreed with some of line’s conclu sions that the prosecution and the sheriff had aided in violating the defendant’s right to an impartial trial. She said Schaub and then-Assistant State Attornei John Treadwell had withheld “six key pieces of excul patory evidence . . . that could have changed the oul come” of the trial. Lane was highly critical of Schaub, Treadwell and then-sheriff Frank Cline. He charged that they'man ufactured testimony” by forcing jail inmates and others to testify against Richardson and suppressed evidence favorable to the defendant. At one point, I^tne charged that Cline was friendlyto Bessie Reece, the babysitter who originally came under suspicion in the poisoning case, and lied to protect her In tact, Lane said, Cline was with Reece on tne morning Richardson’s children were fed lunch laced with par athion, a since-banned deadly insecticide. “The sheriff was on the murder scene after the Rich ardsons were out in the field,” Lane said. “Thereisa better case against Frank Cline than there is againsi James Richardson. At least he was on the scene." Lane quoted T readwell as saying at one timethafHe (I readwell) always thought Bessie Reece instigated and the sheriff went along.” FIRST AIRPLANE The Wright Brothers began experimenting with kites in the 1890’s and In 1903 became the first to sustain flight for 852 feet over the beach at Kitty Hawk. FIRST LOVE She was the only one who didn’t laugh when you fell off the jungle gym and broke your leg. She even let you win at checkers. What a woman! FIRST CAR The world’s first motor car, the Lenoir, named after Its inventor, ran at an average speed of 4 miles per hour. In 1863 the 11/2 horsepower vehicle made its first drive of 6 miles in only 3 hours. UNIVERSITY TOWER It’s time to introduce another Famous First, University Tower. In August, the privately-owned and managed property will open as a dormitory. At University Tower you’ll find 24-hour on-site security, a huge bedroom and private bath, full meal plans, an exercise and weight room, study rooms & com puter room, an indoor pool, a sport-court, a volleyball pit, laundry facilities, housekeeping service, and a shuttle bus to campus. It’s the first and only dorm of Its kind at A&M. Call or come by for leasing information for Fall/Spring '89-'90! !->□ University Dr. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY “Above and Beyond the Rest” University Tower 410 South Texas Avenue (409) 846-4242 1-800-537-9158 University Tower is managed by one of the most experienced student housing management company in the United States. Dr. Richard A Bems, general manager for Wallerstein Property Management, manages dormitories at the University of Texas at Austin and Arizona State University for over 1800 students. 3 Vol.88 No. 14 Pro By Holly Becka REPORTER In an effort to turning the U.S. in Roe vs. Wade, the right to have campus groups h choice form lettei U.S. Attorney G< burgh. The form lettei ican Civil Libertie Wade gives every legal abortion ant vacy. It also says a raise families whi provide love and s The letter com no vote on the S you represent m you will urge the Board a product video ye The Texas Ac tions Board Wt produce a video 1989-90 school yt Board Chairni bids will be accepi duction services t tion after the yeai product together A similar sy: AfcM’s print yea land, Rogers said Plans for the “Aggievision,” w< the editor, Cher] October. Pratt said she the 88-89 staff events while fryir 1987-88 yearbook The 87-88 ye ileted in Decemb listribution of tl anuary. The video wa completed by lun Pratt said she t A&M’s video yeai “Tm excited al Aggievision),” sh< "I think the t A&M to do son think there are et are excited about great chance for i Bush notes AUSTIN (A Bush, returnin home state, Texas legislate on Congress to loan bill and < United States b ported oil. Speaking to ; sion of the I highlighted the oil industry to tl “No matter and high-tech strong domestii is important to state and all ol said. “I find it dist 50 percent of A ported,” said 1 the oil busines politics. “This i« national securit The state’s been hammere during which t meted from ne less than $10. That crisis c major real estat state has seen loans fail than a Bush used hi ate his belief th kan oil spill sh backs in oil exj “Shutting dowr a roductioi merely pendence on fo and we will mai ergy industry.” Bush said tb in the savings . was among “th< on the horizon. The preside! Senate for acti S&L bailout bil on the House < to pass a respo