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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 17, 1994)
{ State & Local 'j'hursda Page 2 The Battalion Thursday, February] Raise your hand Jenny Mayer/THE Battalion Blake Arrant, a sophomore member of the tennis team, serves during a matcn against NE Louisiana on Wednesday,, Man ran escort service from state offi< The Associated Press AUSTIN — A Texas Department of Human Services employee was jailed Tuesday night on a charge that he ran a prostitution service on state time from an office computer. James Bunch was fired earlier Tuesday from his job with the state agency, which had fur nished authorities with results of its investiga tion into suspicious telephone calls. Bunch, 45, was held at Travis County's cen tral booking facility in lieu of $5,000 bail bond set by a municipal court judge on the aggravat ed promotion of prostitution charge, said sher iff's officer Susan Bonilla. Court documents obtained by the Austin American-Statesman show that police sus pected Bunch of running Aimes Escorts for at least two years. Bunch, a 23-year DHS employee, had held a $32,000-a-year job as a Medicaid program eval uator, said Mike Jones, a Department of Human Services spokesman. Police have records and computer disks con taining lists of escort service employees and customers who used the escort service, accord ing to a search and arrest warrant affidavit. Two weeks ago, the state agency gave police a computer printout listing customer informa tion and names of female employees of the es cort service, said Senior Sgt. Jack Kelly of the Austin Police Department's vice detail. He said charges could be filed again;:] service employees and customers dis;:i through the investigation. But authorfel ask them to testify against Bunch inf for not being charged. State officials also provided police v respondence between Bunch and the\ is believed to have bought the escort;- from two years ago, Kelly said. He said the correspondence was take DHS's mainframe computer. A police affidavit from two men si; paid $50 to Aimes Escorts and $120ar: to prostitutes for sex arranged through; cort service. Davidian attorneys play 911 call in courtroo The Associated Press SAN ANTONIO - A Branch Davidian's frantic plea to "call it off" filled a courtroom Wednesday as defense lawyers played a recording of the 911 call a Davidi an made as a deadly shootout erupted with federal agents. "There are 75 men around our building and they're shooting at us at Mount Carmel," said Wayne Martin, a top lieutenant to David Koresh. "Tell them there's chil dren and women in here and to call it off." More than once during the call. Martin referred to gun battle as an attack. "They're attacking us again! . . . They're attacking," he frantical ly shouted. An hour of the call was played for jurors in the federal trial of 11 Branch Davidians accused of murder and conspiracy to murder the four Bureau of Alcohol, To bacco and Firearms killed in the Feb. 28, 1993, shootout. Six cult members also died. If convicted, the cult members could face up life in prison. The gun battle at the Davidians' Waco-area home began a 51-day standoff between the religious group and federal authorities that ended with an April 19 fire that destroyed the compound. Koresh and 78 of his followers died during that blaze. Defense lawyers, who opened their case Wednesday after 24 days of testimony from more than 120 prosecution witnesses, contend Martin's phone call bolsters their position that the Davidians were trying to protect themselves dur ing the gun battle. Lt. Larry Lynch of the McLen nan County Sheriff's Department spoke with Martin in the call, which began at 9:48 a.m., about three minutes into a gun battle. "Tell 'em to pull back,'!. a Harvard-educated attorn: Lynch as gunfire sounded; background. Later, Martin said: "Tel: f get off our roof, to get aw our doors, to get away fit windows." "If they don't backoff: 1 going to fight to the las::: Martin said. Lynch asked Martin at: wounded inside the coc and repeatedly said he wa; to contact ATE agents tor cease-fire, which wasneg: after 45 minutes of shoofe Attorney demands retrial due to sleeping jure The Associated Press STEPHENVILLE - While several jurors were accused of napping during a murder trial, the defendant's attorney stayed alert. A hearing was scheduled Wednesday before a state district judge on a new trial for Raymona Rhnea Dowthitt, whose attorney is challenging the verdict of the sleepy panel. Mikki Joy, an Erath County clerk, said the motion for new trial was on Judge Don Jones' docket. But by mid-afternoon, the hearing had not started. Dowthitt was convicted Dec. 8 for the No vember 1991 shooting death of her husband. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. The woman's attorney, Brenda Vickers, said she caught three jurors sleeping at various times during the proceedings. "I'm putting five people on (to testify), in cluding myself, to say they saw jurors asleep," Vickers said Tuesday. Vickers, in a Jan. 7 affidavit, contended that "at least one, sometimes two, and on occasion three, separate jurors were asleep." Jones had denied Vickers' request topi rors about whether any of them slept: the trial. District Attorney John Terrill said he : fidavits from several jurors asserting tic did not sleep during the proceedings. Terrill said it's the first time inhisneij years as Erath County district attorney: has seen a verdict challenged based ons: legations. "I'm not too worried at this point;i we hear the evidence and what they say," he said. WORK AND TRAVEL IN EUROPE Across from Tom’s Bar B-Q 103 E. Holleman JOT 59 696- 7679 Laundry Sc Cleaners Thursday, Feb* 17th Information Table 10:00 am -1:00 pm MSC Main Hallway Work Abroad Budget Travel Seminar 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Rudder Tower Room 302 For Students 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm Rudder Tower Room 302 Friday, Feb* 18th Work Abroad Seminar 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Rudder Tower Room 401 Sponsored by Study Abroad Prosrams and CIEE For more information, contact Study Abroad Programs at 845-0544 CONTACT LENSES ONLY QUALITY NAME BRANDS (Bausch & Lomb, Ciba, Sola/Barnes-Hind) Disposable Contact Lenses Available $ 79 00 For Standard Clear or Tinted FLEXIBLE WEAR Soft Contact Lenses (Can be worn as daily or extended wea L + FREE SPARE PAIR SAME DAY DELIVERY ON MOST LENSE! ASK ABOUT OUR “BUY MORE PAY LESS” PRICING Call 846-0377 for Appointment *Eye exam and follow up visits not included CHARLES C. SCHROEPPEL, O.D., PC DOCTOR of OPTOMETRY 505 University Dr. East, Suite 101 College Station, TX 77840 4 Blks. East of Texas Ave. & University Dr. Intersection -SUBUJUV NOW DELIVERS FRESH FOOD FAST 4 p.m. - 12 a.m. 696-SUBS George Bush Dr. S. Grahm Rd. $5 minimum Order Limited Delivery Area Cash Only OPEN UP TO ASIA TOKYO, HONG KONG, & GHUANG ZHOU, CHINA SUMMER 1994 The Battalion JULI PHILLIPS, Editor in chief MICHAEL PLUMER, Managing editor KYLE BURNETT, Aggielifeedittf BELINDA BLANCARTE, Night News editor DENA DIZDAR, /tgg/eWpeditor HEATHER WINCH, Night News editor SEAN FRERKING, Sportsedilo: TONI GARRARD CLAY, Opinion editor WILLIAM HARRISON, Photoec JENNIFER SMITH, City editor ANAS BEN-MUSA, Special Sections!- Staff Members City desk — Lisa Elliott, Juli Rhoden, Kim McGuire, Eloise Flint, jan Higginbotham, Geneen Pipher, jams Laurel Mosley, Angela Weaves, Mary Kujawa and Karen Broyles News desk - Rob Clark, Andreana Coleman, Josef Elchanan, Mark Evans and Drew Wasson Photographers — Amy Browning, Chad Cooper, Robert Dunkin, Mary Macmanus, Jennie Mayer, Milne, Tim Moog, Gus Morgan, Nick Rodnicki and Amanda Sonley Aggielife - Margaret Claughton, Jennifer Gressett, Paul Neale, Traci Travis and Claudia Zavaleta Sports writers — Mark Smith, Drew Diener, Nick Georgandis and Jose De Jesus Ortiz Opinion desk — Jay Robbins, Lynn Booher, Roy Clay, Erin Hill, Michael Landauer, Jenny Magee,Meli Megliola, Frank Stanford, Jackie Stokes, Robert Vasquez and Dave Winder Graphic Artist — Pey Wan Choong Cartoonists - Boomer Cardinale, Chau Huang, George Nasr, Kalvin Nguyen and Gerardo Quetad: Clerks- Eleanor Colvin, Wren Eversberg, Jennifer Kerber, Tomiko Miller and Brooke Perkins The Battalion (USPS 045-360) is published daily, Monday through Friday during the fall and sprints' and Monday through Thursday during the summer session (except University holidays and exam 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 AiMUr College Station, TX 77843. News: The Battalion news department is managed by students at Texas A&M University in the Student Publications, a unit of the Department of Journalism. Editorial offices are in 013 Reed Building. Newsroom phone number is 845-3313. Fax: 845-2647. Advertising: For campus, local and national display advertising, call 845-2696. For classified adveiti 845-0569. Advertising offices are in 015 Reed McDonald and office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondtv Friday. Fax: 845-5408. Subscriptions: Mail subscriptions are $20 per semester, $40 per school year and $50 per full year. To> by VISA or MasterCard, call 845-2611.