European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 24, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 b the stars and stripes thursday october 24, 199113 in american youth gang on trial for series of Stuttgart robberies attacks by Joseph Owen Stuttgart Bureau Stuttgart Germany a a German state court is trying 13 members of a gang of Young americans accused of two robberies an attempted robbery and a series of aggravated assaults last Spring in Stuttgart. The defendants Are eight juveniles under 18 four Between 18 and 21, an age group that also receives special treatment under German Law and one adult according to court spokesman Claus Bergmann. All defendants except the adult Are dependents of . Soldiers or civilian defense department employees he said. At least half of the .13 defendants live in the Stuttgart military Community said army capt. William Karaktin a Community spokesman. The charges Stem from incidents on april 27 and May 4, in both cases about 11 . After the americans had left the annual Spring festival in the Stuttgart suburb of bad Cannstatt. The District attorneys office has charged seven defendants including the adult with robbery and aggravated assault against a Young German woman and two German men on the first of the two nights. The gang members allegedly attacked the three after the woman refused to give them a Gingerbread heart she was wearing on a string around her neck. A week later the gang allegedly became involved in four separate attacks. In the first two defendants Are charged with having beaten a German Man. The second attack apparently the most vicious left a portuguese Man with several head wounds after members of the gang allegedly struck him with a baseball Bat a meat Tenderizer and a pair of pliers Bergmann said. The Many a injuries required 15 stitches at a local Hospital. Eight defendants Are charged in that Case of aggravated assault. The third foray of the evening involved a married couple ethnic German immigrants from byelorussian whom nine gang members Are alleged to have beaten. They also allegedly tried unsuccessfully to steal the woman a pocketbook. Five defendants Are charged in the fourth attack in which a woman and two men All germans were beaten with a Board and an umbrella. The group allegedly stole the woman a handbag later divided up 140 Marks about $83 they found inside it and spent the Money at a nearby discotheque. The trial began tuesday. The court is scheduled to continue taking statements from defendants hear testimony from witnesses and consider evidence during sessions today and monday. It plans to Render a verdict nov. 4. Some defendants admitted participating in gang activities for nearly two years with the events of last Spring the most serious to Date Bergmann said. Karaktin said the Community regards the gang attacks As an anomaly not part of a pattern. If american youth gangs were causing other problems in the Stuttgart area he said a i m sure we would have heard about it Long  Man who dressed As woman loses Case by Chuck v1nch Washington Bureau Washington a in a split decision the court of military appeals has upheld the conviction of a Man who dressed As a woman. The court which consists of three judges upheld the conviction of Petty officer 1st class Virgilio Guerrero on two counts of conduct prejudicial to Good order and discipline. But chief judge Robinson Everett dissented on one count saying he did not think the practice was prejudicial to Good order and discipline even if the Cross Dresser is seen by other military personnel if it occurs indirectly in a non military setting. Guerrero got a bad conduct discharge that was later upgraded to a general discharge a under other than honorable con  one of the specifications for which he was convicted was not questioned by the court of military appeals. In that incident Guerrero had invited a Navy recruit to his apartment. After serving drinks Guerrero allegedly withdrew into another room and emerged 15 minutes later wearing a a Long haired wig makeup a miniskirt and a  the other charge was the one that caused the court to split in its opinion. It concerned two incidents in which Guerrero dressed in women a clothing was observed in his off base civilian housing Complex by two other service members. One lived in an apartment directly across from Guerrero and had seen him Cross dressed through his open windows. The other testified that he had twice seen Guerrero dressed As a woman a once As he passed him in the Hall and again when Guerrero asked for help because he was locked out of his apartment. The courts decision on the Case stated that Cross dressing by itself is not necessarily prejudicial to Good order and discipline. The judges noted that Many popular entertainers have portrayed women characters such As comedian flip Wilson Dustin Hoffman in the movie Tootsie and Jamie Farr As Corporal Klinger on the television show a a so which is a seen on Board ships and in Day rooms throughout the  a rather it is the time the places the circumstances and the purpose for the Cross dressing together a that determine whether the conduct is harmful to order and discipline the court said. If a service member Cross dresses in the privacy of his Home a with his curtains or drapes closed and no reasonable belief that he was being observed by others a it would not be grounds for court martial the court said. Everett disagreed saying that the relationship Between the legitimate interest of the armed services and the two instances in which Guerrero was a merely observed while Cross dressed were a too indirect to justify finding him guilty. A even though he had been seen casually by others while Cross dressed he was away from any military installation and was either in his apartment or in transit to or from it a Everett said. Under those circumstances Guerrero a conviction should not have been upheld under statutes covering conduct prejudicial to Good order and discipline Everett said.., Kuwait hold 1st joint Maneu vers since end of War umm Al Aysh Kuwait apr with a dozen raging Oil fires As the backdrop kuwaiti and . Troops conducted their first joint military Maneu vers since the persian Gulf War. Tanks rumbled through the desert Sand and fighter jets swooped Over enemy forces tuesday but no live ammunition was used in the exercises held 20 Miles South of the iraqi Border. A this is excellent training for us Quot said maj. John Anderson of Dallas. A we train together because we might have to fight together in the future. Hopefully not but that a Why we re  the mock Battle melded 300 to 400 kuwaitis and 35 m84 tanks which Are yugoslav modified versions of the soviet t-72 tank and 200 . Troops with 14 m1a1 tanks. A couple of a-4 Jet fighters were called in for support. The exercise comes a few weeks after Kuwait and the United states signed a military agreement that Calls for joint training exercises and the pre positioning of military equipment. About 1,500 american troops Are currently in Kuwait from the 3rd and 8th inf dive based in Kitzinger and Mannheim Germany respectively. The soldiers Are to leave in december. Their presence has Given a feeling of Security to kuwaitis who fear that iraqi president Saddam Hussein still has designs on their country. Kuwait is still struggling to rebuild the nations Small army which crumbled last year in the face of iraqis invading forces. Western Security sources say it would take about five years to put it Back into reasonable shape. United co Tofts lib 8mhtonj.kiss survives court Case a this controversial photo of a priest kissing a nun will not have to be removed from 1,300 billboards a Paris court has ruled. A citizens lobby calling the picture a particularly offensive to catholics a had i complaint against the and distributed by italian Csc manufacturer Benetton. The complaint was reject