European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 c the stars and stripes monday april 13, 1992 . Using verdict As wedge to seize Noriega s funds Miami up a the . Government is trying to seize hundreds of millions of dollars from Manuel Antonio Noriega s european Bank accounts using As leverage last week s cocaine racketeering conviction of the toppled panamanian dictator. A the department of Justice is making an Effort to seize those monies and this conviction will help a a said Lead Noriega prosecutor Michael Sullivan. A efforts Are being made to retrieve that  a Federal jury in Miami convicted Noriega on eight of 10 cocaine trafficking charges thursday the deposed panamanian strongman is to be sentenced in july and is facing a maximum 120 years in prison. Noriega was convicted of accepting millions of dollars in bribes from the Medellin cocaine Cartel and allowing drug dealers to turn Panama into a Way station for cocaine and a Money laundering Haven for cocaine profits. But the Justice departments financial experts conceded at his seven month trial that they Are unable to determine whether the millions in secret Bank accounts is from criminal sources. Despite a Lack of evidence Justice department officials acted in january 1990 shortly after the . Invasion of Panama to identify and freeze More than $23 million in Noriega linked assets in Europe. . Laws require the government to show proof of a Miami up a two members of Manuel a. Noriega a jury said they had reservations about the credibility of drug smuggling witnesses who Cut deals with the government but the jurors chose to convict because witness after witness Toldi the same Story. The jurors quoted saturday in the Miami Herald said they found the smugglers testimony consistent with hat of witnesses who Nad not plea bargained with the government and had nothing to gain by lying. A it Wasny tall bad Guys a said juror James Hogan. A we heard from people from Colombia people from Panama and we heard from . Drug agents. We looked at the Overall picture listening to  juror Leslie Allen said that during the five Day deliberations Quot a lot of people did think about whether some of them were saying things just to get lighter sentences. A but so Many of them testified mostly the same Way a different incidents but they would All come out the same out of 35 or More witnesses a Allen said. A and some of them weren to looking for anything because they did no to receive anything for their  Noriega defense attorney Frank Rubino denounced the government s plea bargain witnesses As Quot scum of the Earth in his closing arguments. But prosecutors defended the use of their testimony saying it is virtually impossible to convict top smugglers without evidence from the underlings who worked for them. The two jurors said that during deliberations they rummaged through boxes of documents and scrawled their thoughts on a blackboard occasionally shouting one another Down. They said some clutched bibles some cried and All agonized Over their decision aware of its historic importance. But they said no More than two jurors Ever argue transit Union oks Pittsburgh a transit employees agreed saturday to obey a judges order that they return to work today ending a 4-week-old strike that halted the City a buses and trolleys. A a we re going to abide by the court order a Larry Klos president of local 85 of the amalgamated transit Union said after emerging from a 75-minute closed door meeting with Union members who walked off the Job March 16 Over wages and pensions. Because of the decision buses were expected to begin rolling by this mornings Rush hour with trolley service resuming tuesday said Judi Mcneil a spokeswoman for the port authority of Allegheny county. Service will be free through saturday in an Effort to lure Back riders. Commonwealth court senior judge Silv Csirip Silvestri criminal connection before they can seize property and financial assets from individuals. But because the Noriega assets were overseas the . Government simply asked foreign governments to freeze the accounts pending further investigation. The foreign governments complied. With the exception of $1.6 million that was released at the request of the . Government to help pay for Noriega Slegal defense the rest remains Frozen. A a we have no comment a Justice Depar ment spokesman Doug Tillet told the fort Lauderdale Sun Sentinel about the efforts to seize Noriega a assets. Defense lawyers say the government has no proof the assets were profits of drug trafficking. A if they did no to have it at trial they had no evidence in january 1990 that this was drug Money Quot said Richard Sharpstein a defense attorney who represented a Noriega co defendant convicted at a separate trial. A that Means their offer in the beginning that this was illegal Money was a  a unless they can link the Money to proceeds from illegal activity the government has no right to it. But of course that does t Stop our government from taking it a said Jeffrey Weiner president of National association of criminal defense lawyers. A fall they need to do is use the magic word a drugs a and this is what happens All Over the  for Noriega a acquittal. They refused to identify the Lone juror who held out for acquittal for several Days causing an 11-1 deadlock. The Washington Post identified her As Bernadine Cooper who declined to speak publicly about the ordeal. The panel told . District judge William Hoe Clur on wednesday that they were deadlocked but agreed to continue deliberating. They reached a verdict a Day later convicting the deposed panamanian dictator on eight of the 10 racketeering and cocaine trafficking counts against him. A i did no to think we were going to get it that Way but finally it came and we were so relieved a said Allen 64, a retired construction worker. A a we just kept talking to her. We went through each count backward and Forward. This is history and you wanted to be sure of what you were  the holdout complained that Noriega a guilt had not been proved beyond a reasonable doubt and that his accusers could not be believed Allen and Hogan said. A she Felt those people with the plea agreements weren to telling the truth a Allen said. But the jurors patiently thumbed through documents producing evidence for her to review. They returned again and again to the boxes of documents and transcripts stacked on the floor around the jury table. Finally the 12th juror decided the witnesses stories jibe and voted to convict. Allen and Hogan said they do not believe she caved in to pressure from the other 11. A the Way she Felt All along i done to think she would have said that if she did no to mean it a Allen said. A it was a unified verdict. Nobody was forced to change their mind a Hogan  order ruled Friday that the strike was threatening Public welfare. He ordered the 2,700 Drivers and mechanics Back to work and ordered negotiators for the Union and the authority to resume contract talks today in his Chambers. Mayor Sophie Masloff filed a lawsuit asking for the order earlier this month. After Silvestri issued his order the unions attorney Joseph pass jr., said strikers would begin reporting for work at 12 01 . Sunday a Day Early. But Klos said the Union decided to follow the letter of the court order and return today. The judge rejected the unions request that contract negotiations be submitted to binding arbitration. Transit officials earlier had objected saying the process would be too expensive. .Kkk grand dragon admits he shot into synagogue front wire reports Nashville Tenn. A a state Kun Siux klan Leader has pleaded guilty to shooting into a City synagogue in june 1990, shattering a window. Leonard William Armstrong 35, of Lenoir City about 140 Miles cast of Nashville pleaded guilty Friday before . District judge John t. Nixon. The guilty plea was part of an agreement that . Attorney Ernest Williams said was scaled. He would not disclose details. Armstrong grand dragon of the Tennessee White knights of the Kkt told the judge he wanted to intimidate the jewish congregation. He faces up to 10 years in prison. No one was inside Nashville a West end synagogue at the time of the shooting. Fri special agent Utley Noble said Armstrong fired four shots into the synagogue with a  Admiral moving up Washington a vice . Stanley r. Arthur who commanded . Naval forces in the persian Gulf War is being promoted to vice chief of naval operations the no. 2 position in the Navy. In announcing the move Friday the Pentagon said Arthur also is being promoted to the rank of Admiral. The selections Are subject to approval by Congress. Arthur 56, currently is serving As commander of the 7th Fleet at Fleet activities Yokosuka  charged in beating Venice 111. A two 11-year-old boys were charged in juvenile court with attempted murder after an 81-year-old woman was beaten with Lead pipes in what authorities called a murder attempt a you have to construe from the facts that they intended to kill her a Madison county states attorney Bill Haine said Friday. A i think she was incapable of resisting. It was a Wanton  Haine said Lorene Morris who was attacked in her Home thursday required surgery. She was in stable condition saturday at St. Elizabeth medical Center in Granite City. Two watches were taken in the attack police said. The states attorney filed a juvenile delinquency petition Friday charging the boys with attempted murder Home invasion armed robbery and armed violence. The youngest age for trial As an adult in Illinois is 13.zoo May not get pandas Columbus Ohio a the . Interior department said the Columbus zoo May borrow two giant pandas from China but the world wildlife fund threatened to Block the loan saying it is unhealthy for the bears and illegal. In a statement Friday the Interior department said the zoo a met the strict criteria of the Panda  the world wildlife fund said it would ask a Federal judge to Block the loan. It said Short term visits Are not Good for the animals and even a loan would violate endangered species Laws. The zoo filed its own suit to Block the conservation group from interfering. A permit for the pandas wont be issued before april 20 because Federal regulations require 10 Days notice for formal  aids chief has virus new York a the City a new aids chief announced he is his positive surprising mayor David n. Dinkins who had just announced his appointment. Ronald s. Johnson was named to the new position of citywide coordinator of aids policy. He Lold a news conference that in october 1989 he tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus which causes aids. Or j  to is his positive i am directly affected by this epidemic a Johnson said. A i am a member of a group that in this City alone can possibly be measured in the hundreds of thousands of  Johnson 44, is a homosexual and has been executive director of the minority task Force on aids since 1988. Sad he had not known Johnson was his positive. It was t All bad Guys juror says of anti Noriega witnesses