European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 24, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 24,1989 the stars and stripes pages cold Holiday a homeless Man sits atop a steam has killed at least 60 people include Erale near the National Christmas ing one in the nation s capital Friday tree in Washington. Much of the and is shattering records for Low country is gripped by a cold wave that temperatures. North prosecutors say they guarded immune testimony Washington a the govern ment took extraordinary Steps that Insu lated the convictions of Oliver North from being tainted by testimony he gave under immunity Iran Contra prosecutors said Friday. In opposing North s bid to have his convictions overturned prosecutors characterized As legally and factually unsound North s argument that the government won three felony convictions against him without making sure tainted evidence was t used. The extraordinary protective proce dures undertaken by the government Andy the court. Assured that North s immunized testimony did not contribute to his conviction said associate Independent counsel Gerald Lynch. Prosecutors in the office of Independent counsel Lawrence Walsh were instructed to avoid learning the contents of immunized testimony from any source in the Iran Contra affair. . District court judge Gerhard go sell. Who presided at North s trial undertook extraordinary efforts to protect North s rights Lynch said in a 70 Page Brief filed in the . Court of appeals. The prosecution also said go sell made the Correct decision in quashing North s subpoena seeking to compel former president Reagan to testify at his trial. North said his activities were authorized by the president and is raising Reagan s absence at the trial As an Issue on Appeal. North could not identify a single in stance where president Reagan directly told him to formulate a false chronology or to commit other obstructions said the court filing. North s almost total Lack of direct Contact with the president is apparent from evidence collected by Walsh s of fice and from North s own testimony at his trial said the prosecution. North told the appeals court last month he was convicted with a stun Ning disregard f9r his fifth amendment right against self incrimination. He said Gesell should have require the prosecution to show that its evidence was derived from sources Independent of North s six Days of immunized testimony on Capitol Hill in 1987. In that testimony. North admitted Many of the activities for which he later was accused of  1972 supreme court ruling says the prosecution must show that All of its Evi Dence is derived Independent of a defendant s immunized  said Gesell erred by not inquiring into possible taint of witnesses jurors and prosecutors. North s speculation that grand jury witnesses May somehow have infected the investigation with immunized mate rial is not Only unfounded but irrelevant said the prosecution. Walsh s of fice said court cases have concluded that a defendant May not question the admissibility of evidence presented to the grand  Are not disqualified merely be cause they have been exposed to inadmissible evidence. As Long As they can Lay aside their opinions and base their judgments on the evidence of record said he prosecution. The court papers said that it was sufficient to have instructed every trial wit Ness to set aside anything he Learned from North s immunized testimony. The single witness who indicated an unwillingness or inability to comply wit the instruction was not allowed to testify the prosecution noted. North is appealing his convictions for aiding and abetting an obstruction of Congress accepting an illegal gratuity and altering and destroying National Security Council documents. He was sentenced to two years Proba Tion fined $150,000 and ordered to serve 1,200 hours of Community service. He is serving the 1,200 hours while appealing the convictions. 23 arrested after mom s undercover work pays off _ _. _. . Or i i r cat Nten i Mann Uhn thin and the suicide two weeks Ako 0traverse City Mich. A it was the death of her 15-year-old son that gave Wendy Stanck the will and guts to infiltrate the drug menace c9rrupting Crystal Falls. But when she did it hit closer to Home than she thought. The Mother of six gathered enough cd Schlor at a group Home for troubled youth. One of the Guys i busted was my life Long Friend and he came to me and 1 said of my god i Don t want to hear that " said Stanek. Still she turned him in. The 35-year-old woman who made More than 20 drug buys during a year of working for j narcotics team added i want people to know they can do it. Any body can do  the suspects were arraigned tuesday in a Marathon session in Iron county District court. Michigan state police who headed the sting declined to talk about Stanek s role in dealing with what they say was a problem commonly known in the upper Peninsula s Crystal Falls and nearby Iron River. They said however that Community support and tips Are important to their work. During the year she spent undercover Stanck was amazed at How easily cocaine flowed in Crystal Falls an old fashioned logging  local health worker tried two years ago to Start a drug awareness group there. He was encouraged to Slop. Peo ple just did t want to admit we had a problem Jerry Schoup said. After Slack made her first Covert drug buy dealers pestered her with More offers than police could handle. It was apiece of cake in and out and just like buying groceries she said. She was shocked at who was doing the Selling friends and childhood acquaintances. It s scum like you that sell it to the kids Stanck said she told a suspect who called her after tuesday s arrests. The Road that led Slack to the upper Peninsula substance enforcement team began with the death of her son Ryan. He would have turned 16 on june 30, 1987, but died Days earlier a passenger in a car that crashed when a Friend grabbed at the steering wheel. Tucked in a shoe of one of the Passen Gers Stanck said she found a marijuana pipe. Police filed no charges. The next Day. Stanek began a log of the drug traffic she saw in Crystal Falls. A year later a Friend in the Iron county sheriff s department put her in touch with the newly formed police team. She began the undercover buys. The biggest threat to the operation that ago of one of Stanek s daughter s friends ended the undercover work. The 14-year-old girl s death was the second teen suicide in Crystal Falls this year. For Selanek who believes the Community s drug prob Lem plays a role in the suicides it was just too  came from Stanek s own children who were unaware their Mother was working undercover. Her eldest son. 15-year-old Jamey was upset at her consorting with drug dealers. He said keep your druggy buddies out of our House " Stanck said. They were getting angry with  Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. Dec. 24, 1949 eleven airmen were killed when their b-50 crashed and exploded near Savannah a. 30 years ago today dec. 24, 1959 the death toll reached 42 in the crash of the brazilian Airliner that had collided with a military plane Over Rio do Janeiro. The dead included All jul passengers and Crew members plus a woman and her six children killed when the plane crashed into their Home. 20 years ago today. Dec 24, 1969 american troops would be withdrawn from Libya by mid-1970, it was reported by libyan radio. The decision was a result of meetings Between . Ambassador David Palmer and libyan capt. Abdul Salam Jalloul. 10 years ago today. Dec 24 1979 militant iranian students reported they would make the Christmas of 50 american hostages As Happy As possible during an unofficial holi Day