European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 7, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 7 George Holliday who videotaped the beating of Rodney King prepares to take the stand thursday. Defendant Theodore Briseno arrives in court thursday in Simi Valley Calif. Officer tried to Stop beating of Rodney King attorney says Simi Valley Calif. Apr one of four White olice officers charged in a Black motorists videotaped eating broke ranks with fellow defendants As the Long awaited trial got under Way thursday. The police officers attorney blamed the other officers for being a out of control in clubbing Rodney King. Attorney John Barnett who represents Theodore Briseno said his client tried to Stop the March 1991 beating that caused a National uproar against police brutality. Barnett had been trying to distance his client from the other defendants but Hadnot openly accused them until thursday. Barnetts dramatic opening statement came after the other three defense lawyers blamed King for inciting the attack. Jurors viewed the videotape that shows King repeatedly beaten with nightsticks. A prosecutor called the beating unjustified. A you will see. A Man who was Down a Man who was not aggressive who was not resisting a Deputy District attorney Terry White said. A and those blows. Continued and continued for no  he described one defendant swinging his Baton at Kings head a much As a baseball Batter would swing at a  but defense lawyer Daryl Mounger representing sgt. Stacey Koon said the violence was triggered by Kings bizarre behaviour and his refusal to follow orders when he was stopped for speeding. A the Only person who was in charge of this incident was Rodney Glen King a said Mounger. A it is the suspect who controls what  Koon 41, is on trial with officers Laurence Powell 29, Timothy wind 31, and Briseno 39. All Are charged with assault. Koon and Powell also Are charged with filing false reports. They face maximum prison sentences of four to eight years if convicted. Wind a Rookie on probation was fired. The other officers were suspended. Barnett claimed Koon Powell and wind lost control and Briseno was the Only one who tried to Stop the violence. A officer Powell in a torrent of blows continued to beat or. King on the ground a Barnett said. A officer Briseno saw the Metal Baton hit or. King in the face and when he saw the torrent of blows he went Over to officer Powell who was poised to hit him again and he grabbed the Baton and pushed him away. A this Briseno a perception is they re out of control. He has to be mindful of his own  attorney Michael Stone representing Powell suggested to jurors who have seen the videotape on television that seeing is not necessarily believing. He showed jurors an enhanced version of the videotape and photos with transparent overlays designed to make Clear what he said was King trying to attack Powell. What is at Issue Stone said is not what the jury sees but what the officers saw a violent Man behaving in a Peculiar manner. A it was the conclusion of every officer on the scene that they had a duster a a person under the influence of pc a Stone said referring to the powerful drug also known As Angel dust. White dismissed such claims. A whatever Rodney King was or whatever he did it did not justify what these defendants did a he said. Drug tests conducted after the beating found no indications of illegal drug use by King who suffered a cracked cheekbone and other head injuries. After opening statements ended the prosecution called its first witness George Holliday the nearby resident who captured the beating on videotape. The trial was moved about 40 Miles Northwest to Simi Valley in Ventura county after extensive Legal and political wrangling. Report ranks american airlines no. 1 Washington apr american airlines was the air Carrier most Likely to arrive on time and least Likely to lose its passengers baggage last year an aviation research Institute reports. Trans world airlines was in last place. The National Institute for aviation research at Wichita state University in Kansas rated the nine major airlines based on factors including on time performance accidents customer service the age of an airlines Fleet lost and mishandled baggage overbooking and financial stability. A being on time not losing bags having a fair pricing system All of those things play a part a said Dean headly who helped produce the study. The Institute ranked the airlines in this order american Southwest Delta United us air Northwest Continental America West and Twa. Brent Bowen the study a organizer said All airlines showed improvement Over previous years. But he said some Are clearly doing better than others. The three carriers at the Bottom of the list have All experienced financial troubles and have also sought Protection from creditors under the Federal bankruptcy Laws while they reorganize. Don Fleming twas Public relations director said the airline was hit especially hard in the first half of 1991 by the effects of the recession and the persian Gulf War. Stringent Security arrangements made necessary by the War delayed Many International flights and caused a Ripple of delays on Twa flights throughout the United states he said.  Stamps stopped unless dead Man revives from wire reports Greenville . Relatives of a dead Man received a letter saying his food Stamps would be discontinued because he died but he could reapply if anything changes. A1 Palanza  brother died about two weeks before the letter arrived from the Greenville county department of social services. A your food Stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that you passed away. May god bless you. You May reapply if there is a change in your circumstances a the letter said. At first Palanza said he was disgusted but eventually he found the letter funny. He called it a living proof of How screwed up the system  killed for shoes Milwaukee a a teen Ager who helped a Friend buy $120 sports shoes snatched the companions pistol from a Dresser drawer killed him and fled with the shoes and a jacket police said. The boy later turned himself in. A i done to have any Good sense Why he would do this to his buddy a said Mario s. Spalatin Milwaukee county assistant District attorney. The 16-year-old boy was on parole from a state reformatory after serving three months for robbery. Police said he spent most of tuesday at the Home of Gabriel Lagrone 16, except for a bus ride to a mall to buy the shoes. Returning to Lagrone a bedroom the boy took the victims .32-Calibcr pistol from a drawer shot him twice and left him dying in bed Spalatin said. The teen Ager went to a police station after hearing he was being  clerk charged Chicago a the City clerk was indicted thursday on racketeering extortion income tax and fraud charges in a payroll and Kickback scheme prosecutors said. Walter Kozubowski 52, was charged with paying about $480,000 to employees who Drew salaries but did Little or no work said . Attorney Fred Foreman. The indictments allege Kozubowski paid some ghost employees with the understanding they would contribute Money to his political Campaign fund. Kozubowski a attorney did no to immediately return phone Calls thursday. Kozubowski who has denied the charges Wasny to in his office. Mayor Richard m. Daley who supported Kozubowski a 1991 re election bid on thursday said Kozubowski had assured him then that he had done nothing wrong. If convicted on All counts Kozubowski faces a possible $5.2 million in . Virginia Warden to quit Charleston . The Warden of a prison where three convicted killers escaped by tunnelling their Way under the prison Wall will resign the head of the states prison system said thursday. West Virginia Penitentiary Warden Carlle Gursky will stay at the prison in Moundsville until March 31 to help his successor said Public safety Secretary Joseph Skaff. Legursky is the second state official to resign since the escapees dug their Way out of the prison greenhouse feb. 19 with shovels provided by the prison. Corrections commissioner Ron Gregory quit two Days after the escape. Legursky acknowledged last week that he spent Only one Day per month at the prison prompting Calls by lawmakers wednesday for his ouster. A a i think he should have been in the prison More a Skaff said