European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes saturday May 16, 1992san Francisco fires new police chief san Francisco a the police commission fired police chief Richard Hongisto Early Friday amid allegations that he ordered officers to strip news Racks of a Gay newspaper containing an unflattering article and illustration about him. The commission held an executive session for More than eight hours hearing testimony from Hongisto and several of the officers he allegedly ordered to remove the papers. Commissioners said Hongisto exercised poor judgment in ordering the removal of the newspapers. Deputy chief Thomas Murphy was named As acting chief of police. At Issue was a cover illustration and article in the san Francisco Bay times a twice monthly newspaper aimed at the Gay and lesbian Community. On the cover Hongisto is shown in a doctored photo holding a Nightstick in a lewd manner. Mayor Frank Jordan ordered the police investigation after initial allegations surfaced. District attorney Arlo Smith also was conducting a criminal probe. Hongisto who took Over As chief of the Force Only six weeks ago was widely held As a Champion of Liberal issues. But six of the 11 City supervisors criticized their former political ally after Hongisto ordered police sweeps that resulted in More than 1,700 arrests. The chiefs action followed last months acquittal of four White men in the los Angeles police beating of Black Motorist Rodney g. King the thousands of Bay times copies removed from Racks May 8 blasted Hongisto a Law and order approach to the demonstrations. Quot Dicks Cool new tool martial Law a shouted the headline. Police returned More than 2,100 copies of the free newspaper to publisher Kim Corsaro on wednesday after investigators seized them from a police officers basement. The san Francisco chronicle reported thursday that one of three vice squad officers acted at Hongisto a suggestion. According to an unidentified source cited by the chronicle Hongisto told one of the officers a a let a say a Bunch of cops from the Mission went out and cleared out these Racks. Then no one would be  the Mission is an area of the City police spokesman sgt. Jerry Senkir said he could not confirm the report and Hongisto denied he ordered the newspapers removed. Under the City charter Only the five member police commission has the Power to fire Hongisto. Jordan appointed the  to be retried for beating of King los Angeles apr a police officer was ordered Friday to stand trial for a second time in the videotaped beating of Rodney g. King. Superior court judge Stanley Weisberg said there was sufficient evidence to retry officer Laurence Powell on a charge of assault under color of authority. A new trial could be held in los Angeles he said. A jury deliberating the Case in the los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley last month deadlocked on that charge voting 8-4 in favor of acquittal. Powell sgt. Stacey Koon former officer Timothy wind and officer Theodore Briseno were acquitted of All other charges. The remaining charge against Powell carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison. The acquittals april 29 touched off several Days of rioting in los Angeles which resulted in 51 deaths and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Lesser disturbances were reported in other cities. King was beaten after he was pulled Over after a High Speed car Chase March 3, 1991. A Man who lived nearby captured much of the beating on videotape tape that was eventually broadcast around the world. In his ruling granting Deputy District attorney Alan Yochelson a request for a retrial Weisberg said Quot based upon my View of the evidence presented at the just concluded trial. I find that the interests of Justice require that there be a second trial in the Case of people versus  Weisberg scheduled a hearing for a week from Friday on a change of venue for the trial. He was criticized for picking the largely White Ventura county Community for the original trial. The judge chose Simi Valley from among three possible locations after an appeals court ordered the Case out of los Angeles county because of political turmoil stirred up by the beating. That order remains in place. Weisberg suggested that the political situation in los Angeles May have changed enough a with a new police chief and the end of the Christopher commission investigation of police conduct a to bring the Case Back to los Angeles. Also he said extensive news Media coverage of the first trial has reached potential jurors throughout California As Well As in los Angeles. Powell a attorney Michael Stone argued there was no reason to believe retrial would bring a different verdict or that prosecutors could deliver new evidence against his client. Stone also argued that Powell  get a fair trial because of the civil unrest sparked by the King beating verdict. Jurors would be influenced to convict for fear of angry Public reaction and a the risk of sparking another series of riots in Urban cities across the United states a he said. Yochelson urged the judge to go Forward with Powell the second trial saying a we can to simply throw up our hands and abandon the matter because of widespread Public  he said there was a reasonable possibility that Powell would be convicted by another jury. In his ruling Weisberg spoke of the possibility that a new trial might spark More rioting saying a a single criminal trial cannot cause or solve the major socioeconomic problems that exist in  the trial will Deal Only with Quot whether or. Powell is guilty or not guilty of the charge that remains against him Weisberg said. Minor disturbances have continued this week including an incident thursday in riot torn South Central los Angeles. Police said they arrested 13 suspected gang members who broke windows at a hamburger stand and smashed the Windshield of a to news Van. In another development Reginald Denny the White truck Driver whose videotaped beating by angry Blacks came to symbolize police paralysis at the Start of the riots was released thursday from Daniel Freeman memorial Hospital. He was in Good condition said spokeswoman Mary Ellen Brown. He had been admitted in critical condition. Three of the suspects in Denny a beating were charged thursday with attempted premeditated murder torture aggravated mayhem and robbery. The fourth was charged with robbing Denny As he Lay on the ground. Municipal court judge William Chidsey or. Delayed the menus arraignment until May 21 at the request of their attorneys and ordered them held without bail. The defense might raise the Issue of whether Denny provoked the attack by shouting racial slurs Dennis Palmieri a lawyer for suspect Damian Monroe Williams said in fridays Las Angeles times. Police spokesman Bill Frio said authorities had no evidence of provocation. Authorities said All four were affiliated with the 8-Trey gangster crips Street gang. But Joyce Watson Mother of suspect Henry Keith Quot Kikis Watson 27, denied he had gang ties. A a he a a family Man not a gang member a said his Mother who attended his court appearance. A the has a daughter and a wife and he a been working two jobs Quot doctor gave counsel in suicide lawyer says Clawson Mich. Apr. Jack Kevorkian counselled a seriously ill woman and was by her Side when she committed suicide Friday his lawyer said. Susan Williams 52, died Friday morning in her Home in this Detroit suburb after a dose of a self administered Carbon monoxide a attorney Geoffrey Fieger said she had suffered from severe multiple sclerosis that left her incapacitated and Blind he said and a her life for All intents and purposes was  Kevorkian was present when she died but did not assist the death Fieger said at a news conference. A so she was the person who put the mask on her face she was the person who turned on the can of Carbon monoxide she was the person who ended her own life without the Aid of anyone whatsoever Quot Fieger told reporters. Earlier Fieger said Kevorkian helped he commit suicide. Kevorkian a retired pathologist who argues that medically assisted suicide is a Boon to the hopelessly ill already faces charges in two other deaths. Fieger said Williams Sisters whom he did not identity and her 29-year-old son Don were with her along with Kevorkian. The woman a 85-year-old husband was not present but was aware of his wife a decision Fieger said. Oakland county medical examiner Ljubisa Dragovic said a device used to release Carbon monoxide was used in the woman a death. Kevorkian 63, is facing two murder charges and faces up to life in prison without parole in connection with the assisted suicides last year of Marjorie Wantz and Sherry Miller. The women were painfully but not terminally ill when they died in a secluded Cabin. Wantz 58, died from a lethal injection of drugs and Miller 43, by Carbon monoxide poisoning. Kevorkian is free on Bond and appealing the states suspension of his medical . Must tame costs for care Cuomo says by the new York times new York new York gov. Mario m. Cuomo urged the Federal government thursday to contain health care costs and provide Universal medical insurance. At a Carnegie Hall ceremony he told graduating students from new York University a school of Medicine that the nations poor elderly and unemployed would never receive adequate care unless the government intervened a even if they did All new York state is doing states acting alone could not tame the health care monster a he said. A it is no longer a question of Choice. We must have a National  in a speech thin on details Cuomo made Clear that he was primarily concerned with outlining issues he would like the presidential candidates to address this summer. But aides said Cuomo was also trying to set the Agenda for health care debates in the state capital of Albany. In january the Cuomo administration plans to propose Bills to expand primary care for the Urban and Rural poor said Michael j. Dowling the states director of health education and human services. In his speech Cuomo said the Federal government could control costs by capping health care charges just As new York state sets top rates that hospitals May charge for most services. In addition costs could be contained by simplifying and computerizing Billing systems and by avoiding Quot excessive use of expensive advanced technologies he said. Accusing private health insurers of denying coverage to a poor people who get poor people diseases a he said the Federal government should provide insurance to anyone who could not get it otherwise. Cuomo urged the graduates to consider careers As general practitioners in inner City and Rural areas instead of training to be specialists. A Reform will happen with or without the support of the doctors a he said. Quot but Reform of the system wont work As Well As it could unless you the doctors Are actively