European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 12, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday january 12. 1990 the stars and stripes pages councilmen s fines in Bias Case voided Washington a a divided supreme court wednesday limited Federal judges Power to stamp out civil rights violations overturning fines against Yon kers. N.y., councilman who blocked a housing desegregation plan. Dissenting justices said the 5-4 ruling May stiffen the resolve of defiant Public officials in discrimination cases. Civil rights leaders still smarting from High court defeats last year said the ruling suggested a further step away from the court s commitment to civil  chief Justice William h. Rehnquist writing for the majority said the judge who imposed the fines against the four Yonkers councilman exceeded his  judge should have waited to see whether potentially bankrupting penalties against the City would Force adoption of the desegregation plan before even consid ering fining the councilman. Rehnquist said. The four councilman arc Edward Pagan Nicholas. Longo. Peter Chama and vice mayor Henry spal Lonc. Pagan said wednesday it s a great vindication. It proved the things i did were  in other action wednesday the court ruled. 5-4. In an Illinois Case that statements criminal defendant makes after an unlawful arrest May not be used by prosecutors to contradict a defense witness trial testimony. Unanimously limited the ability of multinational female troops not eligible for combat badge Washington up1 female soldiers who saw combat in Panama will not be awarded the coveted combat infantryman s badge because Pentagon policy prohibits women from serving in the infantry the army confirmed wednesday. Many of the 600 . Women soldiers stationed in Panama and the 170 that were sent in with the dec. 20invasion forces were assigned to military police units not infantry groups. And because of that the women soldiers who saw action in Panama arc not eligible for the combat infantryman s badge. Women Are not authorized to serve in infantry positions army spokesman maj. Joe Padilla said citing department of defense policy. He emphasized however that male soldiers who served in non infantry positions also would be denied the infantryman s badge. Women soldiers who exhibited bravery under firearm eligible however to receive medals i Adilla said. In addition he said women soldiers who saw action in Panama will be allowed to shift the Arm patches on their uniforms that establish the unit they serve inform their left to the right sleeve which denotes they were in combat. Corporations to Challenge state taxes in Federal court. In the Yonkers Case. Rehnquist said fines against Public officials will encourage them to declare that they favor an ordinance not in order to avoid bankrupting the City for which they legislate but in order to avoid bankrupting  that he said effects a much greater perversion of the Normal legislative process than docs the imposition of sanctions on the  the court previously left intact fines against the City and Rehnquist said wednesday there can be no supreme court Roundup question about the liability of the City of Yonkers for racial  Justice William j. Brennan in a dissenting opinion said wednesday s ruling May intimidate judges who fear they will be second guessed by the High court. I worry that the court s message will have the Unin tended effect of emboldening recalcitrant officials continually to lest the ultimate reach of the remedial authority of the Federal courts he said. The decision is Blind to the Scourge of racial poli tics in  Brennan was joined by justices Thurgood Marshall. Harry a. Blackmun and John Paul Stevens. Joining Rehnquist were justices Byron r.  Day o Connor Antonin Scalia and Anthony m. Kennedy. Steven Shapiro a lawyer with the american civil liberties Union said i think the decision is More significant As a political Symbol than legally. It will be perceived As a further step away from the court s commitment to civil  the court in 1989 limited affirmative action made it tougher to prove Job discrimination and restricted remedies for on the Job racial harassment. The justices have a further Opportunity this year to spell out the Powers of Federal judges to combat Segre gation in a Case from Kansas City to. With a ruling expected by july the court is studying a judge s order to increase property taxes to help pay for de segregating that City s schools. The Yonkers Case attracted National attention in the summer of 1988 As the defiant councilman were threatened with jail plus fines. In addition the City faced possible bankruptcy for refusing to obey . District judge Leonard Sand s desegregation orders. Faced with massive layoffs of City workers the City Council reversed itself and on sept. 10. 1988. Voted to comply with Sand s order to build 1.000 Low Cost Homes to desegregate Middle class areas of the City just North of new York City. But Yonkers still had to pay $819,000 in contempt fines and the four councilman $3,500 apiece. The Yonkers Case stems from a Justice department lawsuit begun by the Carter administration in 1980. La a a. Loc Occa chairman of Chrysler corp reads to first Grade pupils at Danforth elementary school in Syracuse  wednesday to kick off running Start a getting a running Start si.2 million project financed by the automaker. The pro Gram gives first graders 21 free books a year for three Yean in Hopes they Mill become lifelong readers.  second nation Council. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. 12. 1950 the soviet Union walked out of the . Security Council Forn time in four years to protest the presence of nationalist China in the 11 Uncil 30 years ago today. Jan. 12. I960 Gen. Thomas d. White. Air Force chief of staff announced the United Stales was developing an essentially Invulnerable ballistic missile to be called the sky Boll. A weapon with a Range of 1,000 Miles which would be launched from patrolling bombers. 20 years ago today. Jan. 12. 1970 sen. Eugene Mccarthy d-minn., met in the Kremlin wit soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin to discuss .-Sovicl relations and International problems in Vietnam China and the Middle East. 10 years ago today. Jan. 12, 1980 George Mcany the retired president of the 13.6 million member Al Cio died at the age of 85 after a lengthy illness. The former new York City plumber headed the nation s largest labor federation for 24 years. Misting machine blamed in legionnaires outbreak Bogalusa la. A a nation wide supermarket Chain said it has stopped using a misting machine to freshen vegetables after it was blamed for killing at least two people and infect ing do ens of others with so called legionnaires disease. The bacterium was diagnosed Here Las november at a Winn Dixie supermarket one of three in the Southeast Louisiana town of 16,000. Said or. Louise Mcfarland. The state epidemiologist. She said Winn Dixie was most cooperative in the investigation. This is the first time a Community outbreak of legionnaires disease has been traced to a Mist machine of an Type she said. I Don t think anyone would Ever have suspected  the maker of the misting machine. 1.w. Cal of Portland. Maine denied wednesday that his machine was at fault for the outbreak. The legionnaires Bali rim is in the water in that area. You la find it in an kind of machine that uses water and is not properly  Cal said. If a machine is properly cleaned you won t have a problem he said. If you have an ice Cream machine and Youdon t clean it properly you can t blame an outbreak of Salmonella on the manufacturer of the  Cal said his firm supplies misters to most major grocery chains and has had no problem with any other systems. Winn Dixie stores which had Bee using misting machines have returned to freshening vegetables and fruit by Spray ing them with a Hose