European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday december 24, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 5 jury finds Myerson her Lover not guilty Best Merwin leaves courtroom in Early Days of trial. New York. A former miss America Bess Myerson was found not guilty thursday of All charges in an alleged divorce fixing scheme that defense attorneys branded As a soap opera not a criminal  the Federal court jury also a quilted Myerson s Lover Carl Andy Capasso 43, and former state supreme court Justice Honan so Gabe 76, of All charges stemming from an alleged scheme to fix Capasso s Alimony payments Myerson former cily cultural affairs commissioner took o t her glasses and wiped her eyes As jury for woman Linda Berardi read off the words not guilty for each of the five counts against All three defendants and a sixth count against Myerson. When the final acquittal was announced a Small cheer erupted from the Small group of the defendants supporters and Capasso embraced Myerson. Myerson 64, who was miss America in 1945, walked the length of the defense table to embrace the frail retired judge after a startling announcement by he jury that it had not cd reached a verdict on the key conspiracy count after almost four Days of deliberations in judge reread the instructions on reasonable double at the panel s request. Within minutes the jury sent out a note that it had reached a verdict and overwhelmingly rejected the prosecution s Contention that the three were guilty of conspiracy mail fraud and bribe related charges. The jurors had been sequestered since monday when they began weighing the evidence in the i i Wick old trial. Myerson was charged with trying to bribe the judge in Capasso s divorce Case by giving a cily Job to the judge s daughter Suk Arcet Gabol. Myerson Gabol and Capasso a one time City contractor were charged with plot ing to Cut Ca passo s temporary support payments to his estranged wife.  All three were charged with conspiracy mail fraud and promoting bribery. Myerson also was charged with obstruction of Justice for allegedly trying to influence the grand jury testimony of Suk Arcet Gabol. Myerson said nothing As she left the courtroom ignoring reporters questions. Capasso before he was taken Back into custody. By Federal marshals offered a one word opinion  the jurors were the most conscientious group i have Ever seen. I feel just great said Gabol As her daughter congratulated her the former judge said my daughter is Here and i m glad inc stood by me All the Way. She told the truth All the Way everybody a Winner the truth came  sukh ret Gabol said. Jay Goldberg Capasso s lawyer said and it not been Bess Myerson . Attorney Rudolph Giuliani would have never brought this  de to recheck Savannah Plant by the Washington Post Washington the department of Energy has decided 10 conduct an in Tensive search for cracks in one of the Savannah River weapons reactors Possi Bly delaying the reactor s restart beyond next summer and ultimately threatening the nation s tritium Supply Agency officials . The decision was announced thurs Day by Energy Secretary John s. Herring ton less than two weeks after the depart ment found out about a crack in the k. Reactor s Cooling system and in the Cool ing system of a sister reactor at the South Carolina site. In a speech at the National press club herring on criticised his department s past performance in operating the vital military nuclear reactors asserting it had not kept Pace with the times in enforcing environmental and safety regulations and had Baxly supervised contractors of crating the plants. Agency officials said they decided on the inspection of the k reactor out of concern that a dangerous Accident could occur if significant fractures and cracks in the reactor vessel and piping Are not discovered and re paired before it resumes operation. A safely advisory panel had criticized inc Agency earlier this month for initially deciding to postpone the inspection until Well after the planned restart in late Spring or Early summer next year. The ultrasonic system to be used in inspecting the reactor May not be ready until june and will Likely involve two months of Dala collection and at least one month of engineering analysis the officials said. They declined to predict the extent of any additional delay if inc search turns up significant new cracks that require extensive reactor Modifica Tion but one official said it was More realistic to speak of a reactor Start up before the end of the year instead of during the summer. Agency officials had Long viewed the Prospect of such a delay with anxiety because no . Reactor is currently producing tritium a radioactive isotope that must be periodically replenished in nuclear weapons to ensure their maximum destructive Power. Some have even suggested that de lays could ultimately Force the de sense department to dismantle some nuclear weapons prematurely to re cover their iridium for reuse in a smaller stockpile. Asked about this possibility her Ringlon said such weapon cannibalization is an option and it would be shortsighted to not look at  Bui he also expressed optimism that the k reactor will be started before in by comes necessary. I am still confident that we arc on time Herrington said noting that the department would attempt to accelerate final development of the ultrasonic equipment needed for the new inspection. Chief wants Happy cops Brunswick Maine a last year the Deputy police chief or dered his officers to Stop telling peo ple to have a Nice Day. Now he wants them to shed heir dragnet image and put on a Happy Ace. In his new year s message to the 39-Membcr department Richard cars said a smile makes people feel Good and it May even preclude an attack of  a smile also can defuse a hostile situation and com fort the distressed he said. Last year s message urged officers to clean up their language and advised them to can have a Nice Day farewells v Mears admitted he has mellowed Over the years from his just the facts a am approach to Taw enforcement. Texas judge offers apology Dallas a a judge apologized thursday for a poor Choice of words in saying he gave a killer a lighter sentence because the victims were  state District judge Jack Hampton whose remarks prompted outrage from Gay rights and civil liberties organizations and demands for his removal from the Bench made the apology at the Dallas county courthouse. I did not mean to condemn inc homosexual Community generally and 1 used a poor Choice of words and i m sorry about that Hampton said. William Waybourn president of inc Dallas Gay Alli Ance said Hampton s apology was not enough and pushed for his resignation. Hampton told the Dallas times Herald last week that he sentenced in year old Richard Lee Bednarski to 30 years in prison instead of he maximum life sentence on nov 28 in part because Bodnarski s two victims were homosexuals  two Guys that got killed would t have been killed if they had t been cruising the streets picking up teen age boys Hampton said in the interview. "1 Don t much care for queers cruising he streets picking up teen age boys. I be got a teen age  ". Hampton has cast a reasonable doubt into the minds of people across this nation about Dallas Justice Way Bourn said after the judge s apology. He has raised the question of his judicial fitness and ability to be impartial. This question cannot be answered with a simple  the Gay Community has filed a complaint with the state commission on judicial conduct that could Lead to the judge s removal elected officials including state treasurer Ann Rich Ards and sen. Edward Kennedy mass., had also denounced Hampton s remarks on thursday a group of about 50 sign carrying demonstrators in support of Hampton gathered outside the courthouse. Some said they did not know about Hampton s apology while others said they weren t sure they would have done the same i think tharis very generous of judge Hampton. I think that merely shows How fair he is said attorney Bill Mcknight who said be has known Hampton for years. I do now know who bestowed sacred cow status on the homosexuals of this Community i Don t think they deserve it.". The Rev. Donald Skelton of Victory. Tabernacle Church said he and members of his Church were not there to support Hampton but to protest sodomy our sole thrust is against sodomy,1 Sekhon said i feel sorry for them homosexuals. I fee deeply sorry forthem."-. R ,.-. / ,. The judge s apology was addressed to the minis cars what was said in this office o week by to a times Herald reporter has been distorted since i said it and i did not intend to slate that any victim of crime was entitled 10 less fair treatment Hampton said. Sands of time a the stars and stripes 40 years ago today dec. 24, 1948 a Survey of stores in Berlin showed that youngsters were overwhelmingly asking Santa for models of the american and British Lull Beilcke or Airlift including cargo planes midget airports and imitation warehouses. 30 years ago today. Dec 24, 1958 president Eisenhower announced that there would be no general tax increase in the com ing year since he would submit a budget to Congress in january thai was already balanced at around j 77 Mil lion.  20 years ago today. Dec 24, 1968 All 82 crewmen of the american intelligence ship Pueblo captured off the coast of North Korea 11 months earlier were released by the. North koreans at Panmunjom near the South korean Border v a. V in years ago today. Dec. 24,1978 Home for Christmas president Carter found main Street in Plains co., choked with tractors of angry Farmers protesting his China policies