European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 3, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday March 3, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 7 a sheriff s drug lab leads to Legal morass fort Lauderdale Fla. Up a two months after a state appellate court ordered Broward county sheriff Nick Navarro to Stop cooking his own crack cocaine for sting operations no one knows How Many people Are still wrongly jailed for buying it. A it could be several Hundred people a assistant Public defender Steve Michaelson said. A we did no to keep track a sheriffs chemist Randy Hilliard said. On some nights homemade crack cocaine cooked in the sheriffs lab was so popular that undercover deputies Selling the drugs herded buyers to jail in Paddy wagons. A it was like cattle going to Slaugh Ter a said Paul Petillo an assistant Public defender. Michaelson and the Public defenders office have asked the Florida department of corrections to pull the files of everyone jailed on a Broward county drug charge to see if they were convicted of buying drugs made by the sheriffs office. The 4th District court of appeals in West Palm Beach ruled earlier this year that the sheriff operated drug lab was so outrageous that even inmates who failed to protest their convictions had to be released from prison. Officials Are trying to organize a meeting Between prosecutors and defense lawyers to Deal with the coming crush of cases. People convicted of buying crack have been calling judges lawyers and assistant Public defenders to see whether they can get out of prison. A a in be gotten More than a dozen Calls and letters a said assistant Public defender Cherry Grant. A most of the people Are in jail. Its really  the confusion is the result of a program begun by the sheriffs office in 1989 to manufacture crack cocaine. The cocaine rocks were used in sting operations in which deputies sold the drugs to buyers. Chemists made the rocks by boiling water and baking soda with cocaine powder that had been seized in drug raids. Undercover deputies lured buyers into school zones where they could arrest defendants on a charge carrying a mandatory three year prison term. The appellate court in january ordered the sheriff to Stop the process and a month later said All those convicted of using the sheriff made rocks should be released. Sheriffs officials said the office did not count the number of people arrested in the stings but Hilliard estimated  Hilliard cooked nearly 13,000 crack rocks Over a three year period. Some of those arrested in the stings Are serving prison sentences some arc in drug rehabilitation houses some have served their time and still others arc awaiting prosecution. A investigators look at the body of a Man killed in a fight with police at the end of the los Angeles Marathon. At right Lorin Johnson and Peter Elkin kiss after saying their , wedding add drama to . Marathon by the los Angeles times los Angeles a police shot and killed a Man who grabbed for an officers gun sunday just a few Hundred Yards from the finish line of the los Angeles Marathon Only moments after the first of More than 19,000 runners completed the 26.2-mile race authorities said. The gunfire which marred what had been a picture perfect Day and the wedding Day for two of the contestants erupted in a crowded family reunion area a where hundreds were waiting for friends and relatives competing in the race. It was the first violent death in the history of the event. A for the last seven years in . We be run this race through every neighbourhood there is without incident said Bill Burke president of the los Angeles Marathon. A obviously its a tragedy that something like this  los Angeles police and witnesses said the shooting victim attacked officer Floro Pinzon 36, by jumping on his Back. Another officer Rafael Acosta 27, entered the struggle and tried to subdue the attacker with a Billy witnesses said. Both officers were knocked to the ground and the Man tried to grab one officers gun. One officer broke free turned and fired witnesses see related Story on Page 25 said. Police said each officer fired once striking the Inglewood Man in the Chest. Police it. William Hall said that he did not know Why the Man attacked. A it was after the race in an open exhibit area with about 70 people within Range a Hall said. The officers had to take care in firing because a not Only were they in their own line of fire but everyone  two hours earlier the race had begun As a Celebration of physical fitness and commercial endorsements with a team of Elvis Presley impersonators running in White Bell Bottoms and even a wedding party joining some of the worlds Best Long distance runners for a brisk jog through a Host of ethnically varied neighbourhoods. Happily Lorin Joni featured in the Marathon were Peter Elkin and non who ran 13 Miles to be married at the races Halfway Point by a minister in jogging shoes. The couple had met while running in the 1990 Marathon. Under a temporary canopy on a Hollywood Street Corner they vowed to love each other a in times of health and times of sports injury in Uphill and  minutes later the couple stepped Back into the race. The last 13 Miles they said would be the beginning of their  agent says Noriega spied on Cuba for . Miami up a Manuel Noriega red on Fidel Castro for the United ites and reviewed a Cia briefing paper fore a 1984 meeting in Havana that of sectors allege was to resolve a Dis the Over a drug lab a Cia official Testi a monday. Donald Winters said he met with no a every 10 to 15 Days while serving As s Ciao a senior agent in Panama from 84 to 1986. The deposed panamanian Tator frequently provided information out cuban and Central american of irs Winters said. Although Noriega a meetings with Cas Tro were not undertaken at the request of the United states a the . Intelligence agencies appreciated and encouraged the resulting information Noriega provided Winters said. In one instance Noriega negotiated with Castro for the release of . Crewmen from two vessels the cuban military had seized in International Waters Between Cuba and the Bahamas Winters testified. Noriega also provided the Cia with information about a split in Nicaragua a sandinista government at a time the . Government was aiding Nicaragua a con tra rebels Winters said. During a two hour meeting at Noriega a Home in june 1984, Noriega advised that Castro had invited him to a face to face meeting Winters said. A Fidel Castro was eager to discuss with general Noriega the situation that existed at that time in Central America especially in Nicaragua and Al Salvador a he said. A the also requested that the Cia prepare a briefing paper to include whatever slanted assessment we  the Cia provided such a briefing paper and the document was turned Over to Noriega before the meeting with Castro Winters said. Winters account supports the defense Contention that Noriega and Castro discussed Central american affairs during their june 1984 meeting in Havana. The indictment alleges the Havana trip was an emergency meeting in which Castro settled a dispute Between Noriega and Medellin drug lords Over the destruction of a cocaine processing lab the Cartel was building in Panama. Noriega is on trial on 10 counts of racketeering conspiracy and importing and distributing cocaine