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BATTALION
Demolition
DAVE MORRIS • THE BATTALION
almost 23 years in business, the McDonald's on Texas Ave. at Southwest
I way was demolished Wednesday, by Cherry Demolition from Houston. This
cat >n, which opened in Dec. of 1981, will be replaced by a new McDonald's in
the coming months. McDonald's restaurants usually last about 25 years before they
are demolished and rebuilt in order to keep the equipment up to date. The location
on Highway 21 in Bryan is scheduled to be demolished in Dec.
Thursday, July 8, 2004
Prosecutors given
new directives for
criminal cases
By Gina Holland
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department is add
ing significantly to the workload for federal prosecutors,
telling them they must include far more information in
criminal indictments and seek additional indictments in
thousands of pending cases to comply with a Supreme
Court decision.
The Bush administration is fashioning a legal defense
to that ruling, which has led several judges to declare fed
eral sentencing guidelines unconstitutional.
In a memo to federal prosecutors, Deputy Attorney
General James Comey spelled out changes to be followed
while the government defends the guidelines.
The nearly 20-year-old system of sentencing people
convicted in federal court was called into question by the
Supreme Court’s ruling late last month in a state sentenc
ing case. Justices said only juries, not judges, can decide
factors that lengthen prison terms beyond maximums
spelled out in state sentencing guidelines.
The ruling also appears to give defendants a right to
demand that every factor that could lengthen a sentence
be put to a jury and proved beyond reasonable doubt.
Comey said the government does not believe that rul
ing should apply to federal judges, who often make fac
tual determinations that add years to prison sentences.
To be on the safe side, however, he said prosecutors
should include aggravating factors in indictments that
could add time to prison sentences, to be decided by a
jury. Comey said that new indictments should be sought
with that information in pending cases.
Iraqi government announces
emergency powers law
lortland Archdiocese
les for bankruptcy
By Aviva L. Brandt
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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."•‘Gi:
ng tt
*¥|0RTLAND, Ore. — The Port-
pd Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy
lemo’Mday because of the steep costs
ttk' om clergy sex abuse lawsuits, an un-
IlHedented step that could open the
an Catholic archdiocese to new
s of court scrutiny,
o other American diocese has
for bankruptcy, though Boston
tened to do so at the height of
fetnuse crisis that began there two
ago. The Diocese of Tucson,
., has said it will decide wheth-
seek court protection before an
ipse trial there in September.
Portland’s Chapter 11 bankrupt-
ling halted the trial of a law-
itjagainst the late Rev. Maurice
mond, who was accused of
sting more than 50 boys in the
iok !|)s. Grammond died in 2002.
i isK Plaintiffs in the two lawsuits in-
illy idling Grammond have sought a
noviej
i of'
total of more than $160 million.
The archdiocese and its insurers
already have paid more than $53 mil
lion over 50 years to settle more than
130 claims by people who say they
were abused by priests. Most of those
cases have taken place since 1999.
The bankruptcy filing includes
claims against the diocese from 20
pending priest abuse lawsuits, ranging
in amounts from $5.1 million to $135
million. It also includes what appears
to be a $22.3 million bank loan.
The filing did not include a list of
the archdiocese’s assets, which will
be filed at a later date.
Bud Bunce, spokesman for the
356,000-member archdiocese,
said church operations will con
tinue as usual.
“All the parishes will continue
with their regular services,” Bunce
said. “For the most part we antici
pate the normal, everyday types of
activities we do will continue.”
By Danica Kirka
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi government issued a long-
anticipated package of security laws Wednesday to help crush
insurgents, including a provision allowing interim Prime Min
ister lyad Allawi to impose martial law.
“The lives of the Iraqi people Lire in danger, they are in danger from
evil forces, from gangs of terrorists,” said Human Rights Minister
Bakhityar Amin, who compared the new law to the USA Patriot Act.
As the plan was announced, masked gunmen battled Iraqi
forces in central Baghdad, and at least four people were killed.
Mortars landed near a residence used by Allawi, and Iraqi po
lice also defused a massive car bomb elsewhere in the capital.
The new laws give Allawi the right to impose curfews, to con
duct search operations and detain individuals with weapons, once
he receives unanimous approval from the Presidential Council.
They also give him the right to assign governors, including mili
tary leaders, in specific areas, and they empower him to freeze the
assets of suspects and monitor their communications.
Allawi signed the law earlier in the day, officials said.
“The law ... is really designed to protect lives in Iraq, wheth
er these lives are Iraqis or friends of Iraq” in the country, Al
lawi told Associated Press Television News. “We will use the
law ... whenever it is necessary to defeat our enemies.”
Maintaining security in Iraq
The Iraqi government issued new emergency power laws
Wednesday to combat insurgents. Iraqi security forces have almost
quadrupled its size since September 2003.
300 thousand security forces
Size of Iraqi security on duty, June 2004
Civil Defense Corps:
36,229
Partially or fully trained-
Police: 83,789
32 percent partially
or fully trained
1
Army: 7,116
Partiaily or fully trained
• Border patrol: 18,183
Partially or fully trained
Facilities and
protection services:
73,992
Partially or fully trained
SOURCE: Brookings Institution
The Presidential Council is made up of a president and and
two vice presidents.
Officials also emphasized the checks built into the new laws
to allay fears that they could give Allawi dictatorial powers
reminiscent of the deposed regime of Saddam Hussein.
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