European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes wednesday january 18,1989 death sentence stands Slayer Bundy Washington a the supreme court re fused tuesday to set aside serial killer Theodore Bun by s conviction and death sentence for murdering a 12 year old girl in Florida 11 years ago. The justices voting 7 to 2, let stand rulings that Bundy was mentally competent when he stood trial in 1980 for the slaying of Kimberly Leach in Lake City Fla. Reacting swiftly state officials said Florida gov. Bob Martinez would sign a death warrant for Bundy tuesday scheduling his execution for 7 a.m., Jan. 24. Bundy 42, also received death sentences for the 1978 killings of two Florida state University sorority Sisters who were beaten and strangled just three weeks before the Leach murder. He has been linked to As Many As 36 sex murders or disappearances of Young women most of them in Utah Colorado and Washington state. A Federal court hearing in fort Lauderdale is scheduled for monday to determine whether Bundy was mentally competent when he stood trial for the sorority House killings. But Florida officials Are under no Legal obligation to postpone executing Bundy pending any conclusion of that proceeding. Bundy whose Case won National attention even be fore it was depicted in a television miniseries the deliberate stranger previously has come within hours of being executed Only to win postponement. Tuesday s action Marks the fourth time the supreme court has considered a formal Appeal for Bundy. One rejected by the justices in 1986, was a 34-Page document filed by Bundy a Utah Law school dropout in his own handwriting. In the Appeal acted on tuesday lawyers for Bundy argued that lower courts wrongly determined at a much later Date that he had been competent to stand trial in 1980. Referring to numerous incidents in which Bundy exhibited bizarre behaviour during his trial for the supreme court Roundup Leach murder the Appeal said Bundy was mentally incompetent at the time. This court has never addressed the Issue of when if Ever a Post trial hearing would be adequate to remedy a violation of a defendant s right. To a contemporary determination of his competency when sufficient indicia arise at trial the Appeal said. The supreme court in 1966 said defendants have a right to  a contemporary competency hearing. The 11th . Circuit court of appeals ruled in 1987 that Bundy was entitled to a hearing to determine whether he had been mentally competent in 1980. A Federal judge subsequently ruled that Bundy had not been incompetent calling him the most compe tent serial killer in the country at this time. A diabolical  the 11th circuit court then upheld the competency ruling sparking the Appeal acted on tuesday. In other action tuesday the supreme court allowed anti smoking groups to see and publicize ready for liftoff the Crew members of the space shuttle discovery have something to smile about on feb. 23, they Are scheduled to blast off into space. The Crew members Are front Row from left Pilot John Blaha and commander Michael Coats and top Row from left Mission specialists James Bagian James Buchli and Bob Springer. Once in orbit the Crew will launch a Nasa tracking and data relay satellite and conduct science and medical experiments. A cigarette company s research that the groups say could link smoking to health hazards. The court without comment let stand a ruling in a Boston Case that allows Public Access to material com piled for Liggett group inc. Agreed to review a $181,000 award in attorneys fees stemming from a 1970 airline sex Bias lawsuit. The justices said they will decide whether people who intervene in civil rights cases and Are not the principal defendants May be forced to reimburse lawyer fees incurred by those who successfully sue. Ruled in a 6-3 vote that a California redistricting plan that placed democrats in control of the state s congressional delegation does not unlawfully discriminate against republicans. Republicans had challenged that plan As an unconstitutional form of Gerrymander ing. Rejected a Challenge to a state Law exempting religiously affiliated child care centers from some health and safety standards other child care centers must meet. The justices without comment let stand a Federal appeals court ruling that the Virginia Law does not violate the constitutionally required separation of Church and state. Set aside a ruling that limited Access by labor unions representing Federal government employees to their members Home addresses. The justices told a Federal appeals court to restudy its ruling that requires Federal agencies to give employees an Opportunity to have their addresses withheld from their unions. Bakker enters a Nocent plea to Federal charges Charlotte . A former pal Leader Jim Bakker pleaded not guilty tuesday to Federal charges of using millions of dollars in donations to support his lavish lifestyle. Bakker made no comment during the hearing but defense attorney George t. Davis asked . Magis trate Paul Taylor to impose a gag order in the Case. Davis read parts of an interview published Jan. 2 in which retired . Bankruptcy judge Rufus Reynolds who presided Over the pal bankruptcy Case called Bakker a sawed off Little  Taylor asked the defense and prosecuting attorneys to present a draft of a gag order to him by thursday. Taylor scheduled Bakker s trial for the february term of court but set no Date. Bakker and three of his former aides at the pal ministry in fort Mill s.c., were indicted dec. 5. Bakker 48, and Richard Dortch 57, his former top Deputy each were charged with 24 counts of mail and wire fraud and with conspiracy. They were accused of conspiring to defraud pal contributors to support their lavish lifestyles and of diverting More than $4 million in pal Money for their personal use. Also indicted were Brothers David and James tag Gart. They face charges of tax evasion and conspiring to impede the irs in tax collection. Taylor tentatively set their trial for the february term. \ Bakker resigned from the pal in 1987 after head fitted he had sex with Church Secretary Jessica Hahn and paid her Money to keep quiet. Last month a Canadian businessman bought pal s assets at a bankruptcy auction. The Fate of pal s religious operations which were spun off by the bankruptcy court is unclear. Arafat s planned speech May be problem for . Detroit a Yasser Arafat has accepted an invitation to address Arab americans in Washington says a Detroit attorney who met with the Plo Leader in Tunisia but  a visit could pose a dilemma for the Bush administration. Attorney and american Arab anti discrimination committee president Abdeen Jabara who met with Arafat last weekend said the Palestine liberation organization Leader has agreed to address the group april 13 at its Conven Tion in Washington. However the state department on monday refused to say whether Arafat would be allowed to enter the United states. Denying Arafat a visa could anger Arab leaders who consider the Plo a key part of the push for peace in the Middle East. Issuing the visa could anger Israel and its supporters. There is a dilemma said sol Lach Man a former president of the Detroit chapter of the american zionist federation. Even As a supporter of Israel i can understand Why the . Would want to talk to the Plo and Why it s completely appropriate to serve As an intermediary in the cause of peace. But Arafat in Washington to Deal with him on that basis is to legitimize him who was a terrorist up until  last november Secretary of state George Shultz rejected Arafat s application for a visa to address the United nations citing the palestinian Leader s sup port of terrorism. But in december the United states agreed to renew talks with the Plo after Arafat renounced terrorism and endorsed . Resolutions recognizing is Rael s right to exist. The april speech would be recorded As an historic event in the relations be tween americans of Arab descent and the palestinian leadership Jabara said in a statement from Tunisia. The granting of a visa to the Plo chairman will not Only be a gesture of Goodwill toward the 2 million americans of Arab descent but would also underline the new administration s commitment to resolving the palestinian israeli conflict within the framework of free and open discussion of All