State & Local
Monda
Se
Page 2
The Battalion
Monday,
:
Attorneys question integrity
of autopsy results used in trials
Pathologist's indictment raises issue of erroneous convictions
LUBBOCK (AP) — Even pros
ecutors sometimes wonder about
Dr. Ralph Erdmann's bizarre
work habits — after all he once
lost a head. But they still used the
pathologist's testimony to send
people to prison, some to death
row.
Erdmann's recent indictment
on charges of falsifying an autop
sy and accusations that he per
forms "made-to-order'' autopsies
for police have defense attorneys
scrambling to see whether his
work led to false convictions.
"You are going to hear Dr.
Erdmann's name a lot in the fu
ture/' said Steven Losch, attor
ney for the NAACP Legal De
fense Fund-Capital Punishment
Project in New York. "I know I
will be looking into as many cap
ital murder cases involving Dr.
Erdmann as possible."
Losch said he will review at
least 23 of Erdmann's cases in 41
counties.
On Friday, Losch won the
right to exhume the body of 72-
year-old murder victim Hilton
Merriman, claiming Erdmann
botched the autopsy.
In the hearing on their re
quest, Erdmann invoked his Fifth
Amendment right against self-in
crimination 200 times in response
to questions about the autopsy.
In the motion to exhume Mer-
riman's body, former Dallas
County assistant medical exam
iner Linda Norton was quoted as
saying Erdmann routinely per
forms "made-to-order autopsies
that support a police version of a
story."
Norton said some of Erd
mann's findings are "so wrong
as to be an insult to the intelli
gence of an average human be
ing."
Erdmann, 65, was indicted in
February by a Hockley County
grand jury on charges of falsify
ing an autopsy on a 41-year-old
man. A few weeks later, he re
signed his $140,000-a-year job
performing autopsies for Lub
bock County, saying he was
overworked.
Erdmann said he performed
mtopsy on the 41-year-old
man in whi< ‘
an ai
lich he weighed the
man's spleen.
But family members noted the
spleen had been removed several
years before.
The state then indicted Erd
mann on charges he billed the
county $650 for the autopsy,
which it said he never per
formed. An investigation showed
the body was never cut open.
Erdmann, who faces 20 years
in prison if convicted, said he
simply erred by not sending the
county the correct documents.
"I tried to apologize, but they
wouldn't let me. I made a mis
take," he said.
For years, defense attorneys
and prosecutors have had reser
vations about the doctor, who
showed up in Childress in 1981
and began a service performing
autopsies two years later.
"Some of his work habits are
strange," said Randall County
District Attorney Randy Sherrod,
See Confusion/Page 8
EL P7
Run-off
%
Elections
environ
New Yo
dump c
sewage
Polling for Student Government run-off electi rarK ^ ^ ai
will take place Tuesday. Students can vote in then®! ^ ocu
offs even if they did not vote in the first election. !°i nt Ve
The candidates competing in the run-off electi is intere:
are: acre trac
• Student Body President near ^ ier
Steve Beller/David Brooks
• Vice President of Student Development (RIKj
Sarah Peebles/Stephanie Thompson
• Class of '93 Social Secretary
Melissa Stoesser/Michelle Duchamp
• Class of '94 President
Chad King/Greg Reils
•Class of '94 Vice President
Michael Crain/Ross McGlothlin
• Class of '94 Treasurer
Brian Davis/Brandon Wax
• Class of '94 Secretary
Leslie Jacob/Susan Owens
• Class of '94 Historian
Andria Cook/Leslie Trevino
• Class of '95 President
Greg Givens/Jeb Jones
• Class of '95 Vice President
Tracy Kennedy/Tobey Cordasco
• Class of '95 Treasurer
Trent Ashby/Shannon Durkin
• Class of '95 Historian
Paige Lacke/ Doug Watjus
El|Paso.
J'Tt's i
border
dumpin;
Lynch, le
Environr
County i
low-level
near Sier
■ "I dor
thing goi
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[ But a
Co
mtinue
ORTRUN GINGERICH/The Battalion
Holly Horton voted in last week’s election.
Run-off elections will be held Tuesday, April 7.
Polling takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. intis
Blocker Building, Kleberg Center, Sterling C. Evari
Library and Zacnry Engineering Center; and froii
the MSC.
a.m. to 6 p.m. in
Fraternity holds fund-raiser
to show support of education
Lambda Chi Alpha raffle winner to receive $500 scholarship,
chance to swap places with Mobley as 'President For a Day'
By Robin Roach
The Battalion
Do not be surprised if you happen to see University
President William H. Mobley sitting in one of your
classes in the near future.
As a result of Lambda Chi Alpha's "President For a
Day" fund-raiser, one student will be given the chance
to see Mobley in a different light.
"President For a Day" is a raffle sponsored by the
fraternity in which the winner will receive a $500
scholarship and the opportunity to trade places witH v '
Mobley for one day.
Mobley will attend classes and take notes with the
winner of the raffle in order to gain a perspective on
student life at A&M.
In exchange, the winner of the raffle will follow
Mobley around to see what his typical day entails and
learn how the University runs.
Up to four additional $500 scholarships will be
awarded from the raffle, depending on ticket sales.
Lambda Chi Alpha is sponsoring "President For a
Day" to acknowledge the importance of education
both at A&M and in fraternities in general.
"We're trying to raise the general image of the
Greek system," said Elwin Dobropolski, a member of
Lambda Chi Alpha.
The money raised in ticket sales will be used solely
for the scholarships which will be awarded, said Jeff
Stathatos, coordinator for the event and a member of
Lambda Chi Alpha.
"It ^'President For a Day') is purely a philanthropy
project," Stathatos said. "The event goes to show
we're supporting A&M and the education we should
be getting."
Stathatos said the ultimate goal of Lambda Chi Al
pha is to give away $2500 in scholarships and give
needy students the opportunity to receive financial as
sistance.
Raffle tickets are on sale Monday through Friday
and may be purchased for $1 each at several locations
on campus including Blocker Building, the Commons
foyer and the MSC. Tickets may also be purchased
from any member of Lambda Chi Alpha.
Students may purchase as many tickets as they
wish to improve their odds of winning.
The drawing will be held April 17 at 5 p.m. at The
Grove. Students do not have to be present to win.
Dr. Mike Leese, the Interfraternity Council advisor,
and Mobley (schedule permitting) will be present for
the drawing.
Graduate,
undergraduate
Q-drop period
ends Tuesday
Tuesday, A^fil 7, is the
last day for graduate and un
dergraduate students to drop
courses with no penalty and
receive a Q grade on their
transcripts (Q-drop).
Colleges have limits on
the number of Q-drops stu
dents can have during their
academic career.
For more information on
Q-drop limits and proce
dures, contact your academic
adviser or department office.
School battles bus violenci
with use of video camera
BEAUMONT (AP) - East
Texas school bus drivers said
new video cameras on board are
helping keep students in line,
but they are pleading for more
aid in dealing with bus violence.
An accidental shooting on a
West Orange-Cove Elementary
school bus March 26 occurred
just two days after an emotional
speech by a longtime bus driver
at the school board's meeting.
Gail Jefferson, a driver with
the district for 21 years, pleaded
with the board to take immedi
ate action on enforcing disci
pline for students who consis
tently cause problems on the
buses.
"I know the shooting was an
accident,"Jefferson said. "But
children have different ideas
about what's dangerous. It used
to be pocket knives that they
were slipping into their back
packs to show. Now it's guns. I
guess with television and
movies, we can't be surprised at
that. But we still need some help
on our buses. This incident just
makes it more evident."
Jefferson said she has 13 cita
tions on one student who rides
rs, ' Ne
Repre<
mittee w<
everythin
anything
| KKYS
Event, wa
several of
"KKYS
Ele
her bus, and the school yes
not over.
"I have the health and si?
of all of the children town
about," she said. "Seventy-ti
lives are at stake every tic
have to turn my eyes off ofli
road and deal with a kid wbi|
causing serious problems."
In some districts, paren!
volunteer monitors ride the
to help maintain discipliri
that drivers can watch the
The Lumberton School Disri
in late February installed m
cameras in 15 school buses
serve much the same purpos
said transportation biimrh/
ry Carney. *
Lumbetton drivei.\ra\Ovei-!
street said she has noticed a
marked difference inbi
since then.
"The students nowarealittkl
more conscious of followingtb
rules and not doing thingsthm
usually got away with," Ove
street said. "These camerashai
given us a little more freedom
keep an eye on traffic withot
having to look at the studentsl
much, but you still haveto/r
mind them to behave."
Continue
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The Battalion
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EXCITING 4k
EAX.I ■ ■■I'M -fir
NEWS
MAY GRADUATES
OF
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
GRADUATION ANNOUNCEMENT
ORDERS ARE HERE !!!!!
THEY CAN BE PICKED UP BEGINNING
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1992
MSC STUDENT FINANCE CENTER ROOM 217
8 AM TO 4 PM
EXTRA ANNOUNCEMENTS WILL GO ON SALE
MONDAY, APRIL 13, 1992
FIRST COME —- FIRST SERVE
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VIP Research is seeking individuals with ulcerative colitis. If
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