State & Local Page 2 The Battalion Thursday, October8,1! DWI bill to offer easier sentences Richards to review By ROBIN GOODPASTER Reporter of THE BATTALION House Bill 93, passed by the Texas Legislature last session, has some people concerned criminals may be getting away with lighter punishments. The bill contains an amend ment to the Texas Code of Crimi nal Procedure which gives judges the power to allow drunk drivers on probation to receive credit for jail time by performing communi ty service. Since 1983, DWI offenders who were given probation for addi tional violations were required to spend at least three days in jail for a second offense and 10 days in jail for a third offense. Mothers Against Driving Drunk officials said the change will undermine their efforts to put DWI offenders behind bars. How ever, Kirk Brown, the state chair person for Mothers Against Drunk Drivers (MADD) said that House approves amendment allowing community service to replace jail time both rehabilitation and jail time are necessary. "Rehabilitation does not work unless they admit they have a problem," Brown said. "The earlier we can get these people's attention, the better. I be lieve that going to jail wakes peo ple up. This should show them that we are serious about it." "Eighty percent of automobile accidents caused by drunk drivers are caused by first offenders," he said. "We are certainly opposed to the more lenient laws. We realize that the jails are full, but drunk people do kill people." State Senator Jim Turner said that the section of the bill pertain ing to community service in lieu of jail time was not aimed at set ting DWI offenders free without punishment. Rather, it gives Texas judges the option of deferred adjudica tion to keep the jails becoming too crowded. "It presents an interesting is sue," he said. "The slate spends hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to punish and rehabilitate criminals at a less cost and a more effective manner than in the prison system. "With the constraints place upon prison systems there is not meaningful punishment for many offenders. If we can design a work program for a nonviolent of fender, it would help the over crowding problem." Michael F. O'Connor, a Bryan attorney who handles DWI cases, said that it depends on the indi vidual as to whether jail time or rehabilitation is more effective. "Even before House Bill 93, judges had discretion for punish ment," O'Connor said. "Second, third or 15th time DWI offenders know what they are supposed to do and not sup posed to do. If they don't take a breathalizer or are videotaped while they are inebriated, the state does not have much of a case. And rather than let them go with no punishment, the state is willing to charge a lesser penalty so that some type of punishment is en forced — such as community ser vice." Opponents of the legislation said that the portion of the bill concerning community service in stead of jail sentences was written in fine print, and they were un aware of it until after the bill had passed. "We did not even know it was in there, as most legislatures did not know it was in there," Brown said. "I think that they may be embarrassed about the legislation, and we are trying to embarrass them into changing it." school finance plan THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AUSTIN — Gov. Ann Richards said Wednesday she plans to call lawmakers into a lame-duck spe cial session next month to debate a school finance plan being read ied by her, Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock and outgoing House Speaker Gib Lewis. "I expect us to present a uni fied plan/' she said. "Are we go ing to be successful? I can't tell you that. I don't know. We're go ing to try very hard." Richards said she probably would convene the Legislature the second week of November, af ter the Nov. 3 election, and limit its agenda to the thorny school fi nance problem. "We want to give the members an opportunity to discuss it and discuss it in depth," she said. The Texas Supreme Courlii peatedly has struck down sdw finance plans, saying the sysla wasn't equitable to poordistricls The issue has been one oftl most bitter and divisive for leg lators since the late 1980s. At least three dozen of thecii rent House and Senate memlw including the House speakers lame ducks. They won't be retumingfori 1993 Legislature because of refe ments or primary election defeaS But Richards said she wants! debate school finance in Novel ber rather than waiting until ft regular session opens inearlyjat uary with the new lawmakers, She said that is becauseftt proposal will include a conslits tional amendment thatneedsit go to voters before thejunel 1993 court deadline for action, Sleeping pill causes violent actions, attorney says THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS — Popular sleeping pill Hal- cion prompted a former police official to become violent and kill his best friend, the attorney for the officer said Wednes day as a civil lawsuit over the drug opened. William R. Freeman, formerly assistant chief of the Fort Stockton police depart ment, is serving a life prison term for Donnie Hazelwood's 1987 slaying. But Freeman would not be there were it not for the drug, his attorney told ju rors. The case is the first involving Halcion to go to trial against Upjohn Co. "I am convinced that when the evi dence is in, you will consider that Mr. Freeman's family deserves to be compen sated for the pain, humiliation and tragedy inflicted on them by this drug," attorney Randy Johnston of Dallas said in his opening statement. Freeman, his wife and four children filed the $5.5 million lawsuit against the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based company in 1989, the same year the former officer was sentenced to prison. "I know that all of us want desperately to believe that the drugs we take are safe, and that when our doctors give us some thing, we should take it," said Johnston. "But we will prove to you that Upjohn is a corporate crook that lied to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) to get this drug approved." An attorney for Upjohn said that Hal cion didn't come up before jurors in Free man's criminal trial. "They convicted him of murder and sentenced him to life in prison," said at torney Richard L. Josephson of Dallas, representing Upjohn. "We are here to undo what another jury did and award an substantial amount of money to a mur derer." Josephson said a psychiatrist who ex amined Freeman determined he was com petent to stand trial. Freeman, rather be ing victimized by Halcion, abused other drugs along with alcohol, the attorney said. Johnston said that Freeman began drinking and taking drugs after injuring his back while on police duty in 1984. That injury required surgery. "The man was in pain, disabled from his job and he drank," Johnston told the 11-member jury, adding that Freeman re ceived Halcion for more than two years as a result of his injuries. But now, the FDA will not allow pa tients to take even half the Halcion dosage that Freeman was prescribed by a Dallas doctor and two others, Johnston said. The drug caused Freeman to become paranoid, lose his memory and behave abnormally before shooting Hazelwood in the head, according to a document filed in the lawsuit. The product liability and negligent! case contends Upjohn failed toprovitl! adequate warnings for Halcion andfaild to inform Freeman and his doctorso! dangerous side effects. Dozens of other cases pending nato wide against Upjohn also contend lie drug causes side effects suchasdepre- sion, anxiety, insomnia and aggressici that could lead to violence. Halcion, known by the generic nait triazolam, has been reviewed by theH several times since it was approvedfu use in the United States in 1982. It haste come the world's most widely prescrM sleeping pill and is marketed inmott than 90 countries. Thui d y g F j ( s< s< tl tl t< A P ai n fa tc rr rc & st av P j vi to m cl G ni Y. dc cu SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE CONTACT LENSES ONLY QUALITY NAME BRANDS LU _l < i— m co > r— m • co > r~ m SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSES, co Offer ends Sept. 30, 1992. Offer extended to Oct. 30, 1992 Call 846-0377 for Appointment ^ CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., P.C. DOCTOR OF OPTOMETRY 505 University Dr. East, Suite 101 College Station, TX 77840 4 Blks. East of Texas Ave. & University Dr. Intersection LU IU < CO SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE • SALE co > m co > m co > m co > The Battalion ATLANTIS TILLMAN, Editor in Chief STEVE O’BRIEN, Managing Editor JASON LOUGHMAN, Opinion Editor GARY CARROLL, City Editor MEREDITH HARRISON, News Editor J. DOUGLAS FOSTER, Sports HEIDI SAUER, News Editor Editor TODD BLACKMON, Arts & Entertainment CHRIS WHITLEY, Sports Editor Editor RICHARD S. JAMES, Photo Editor Staff Members Reporters — Melody Dunne, Mark Evans, Todd Stone, Brandi Jordan, Cheryl Heller, Tanya Sasser, Robin Goodpaster, Juli Phillips, Tanya Williams, Julie Chelkowski, Monique Lunsford, Mack Harrision, and Will Healy. News desk — Kyle Burnett, Tracia Newbold, Jennifer Mentlik, David Thomas, Lance Holmes, Lauri Reysa and Jennifer Smith. Photographers — Danin Hill, Jenny Matlack, Randy Nichols, Sandra Alvarado, Billy Moran, Jennifer Lockard, Ricardo S. Garcia and Robert Reed. Lifestyles writers — Susan Owen, Anas Ben-Musa, Tricia Martinez and Julie Polston. Sports writers— K. Lee Davis, Michael Plumer, Don Norwood and Ruly Medrano. Columnists — Anthony LoBaido, Stacy Feducia, Dwayne Purvis, Shawn Ralston, Matt Dickerson, Robert Vasquez, and Toni Garrard. Cartoonists — William Harrison, Thomas Deeney, George Nasr, and Clay Welch. Clerks — Darra Dees, Pejcharat Harvey, Shelley Rowton and Jamie Anderson. The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam periods), at Texas A&M University. Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 77840. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Battalion, 230 Reed McDonald Building, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Division of Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed McDonald Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3316. Fax: 845-2647. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the Opinion Page staff or the contributor and do not necessarily represent the opinions of the Texas A&M Battalion editors, student body, administration, faculty or staff. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified advertising, call 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To charge by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611. Do you want to spend Spring Break ’93 in Rome, Venice, Snook, or College Station? Need some help making your decision? Come talk to some students who chose Rome and Venice last year and then decide. Thursday, October 8, 1992 4-6 p.m. Room 410 Rudder Students who participated in the Spring '92 TAMU Italian Semester program will be present to share their experiences and their scrapbooks. Learn how you can spend your Spring Break in Rome or Venice. For more information, contact the Study Abroad Program Office, 161 Bizzell Hall West, 845-0544. P.S. If you can't make it, don't stress out! Check out Overseas Day instead! Visit the main hallway of the MSC on the same day from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and you'll be able to talk with some of the same students who are going to be in Room 410 Rudder from 4-6. Two Hours of Great Comedy Just For You! TONIGHT! Take a Break Laugh a Little Come to Garfield’s Thursday Nite Live and enjoy the best two hours of comedy with Mike Vance and Jeff Hodge Tickets are $5 at the door Show starts at 9:00 p.m. J ^RESTAURANT* ' j Students get 10 % OFF breakfast, lunch and | dinner with student I.D. | Checks accepted with proper I.D j 1503 S. Texas * Culpepper Plaza * 693-1736 Free LSAT Preview! The Princeton Review and the MSC MBA/Lan Committee invite you to spend 90 minutes learning about the LSAT. Bra ka, ch, tonigh The niche I nic dai The ship ai that le; leys ar Ozzy ( prepan We will discuss what the LSAT really measures and how law schoolsik your LSAT score. We will teach you how the test writers think and how)® can use this knowledge to your advantage. In just 90 minutes, you willli enough about the LSAT to begin adding points to your score! Tliesday, October 13th 8:00 pm Rm 501 Rudder Call 696-9099 to reserve your space! THE PRINCETON REVIEW We Score More! Neither ETS nor ftinccton Univ. affiliated with The Princeton Review Loca Spring ’93 This time don’t be left in College Station. Find out more at OVERSEAS DAY Oct. 8 10:00 -2:00 p.m. MSC Main Hall Or come by the Study Abroad Program Office 161 Bizzell Hall West 845-0544 /