European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 24, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page a a the stars and stripes . Sunday january 24,1993 prosecutors in King Case won t have to prove Bias counts dismissed for defendants in trucker beating by the new York times los Angeles a a Federal judge ruled Friday that Federal prosecutors do not have to prove racial Bias in order to win conviction of four White police officers in the. Beating of a Black Motorist Rodney g. King. The written ruling by judge John g. Davies of Federal District court apparently reversed his earlier position for the prosecutors whose main evidence is an Amateur videotape of the beating. In order to win convictions in the Federal civil rights Case the judge said Friday the prosecutors must still prove that the officers acted wilfully in depriving King a of his constitutional rights. This need to show intent will make the Federal charges More difficult to prove than the assault charges of which the officers were acquitted last april the four sgt. Stacey c. Koon and officers Laurence m. Powell Ana Theodore j. Briseno and former officer Timothy e. Wind face possible sentences of 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000, wind a Rookie who was on probation was dismissed from the Force. Davies ruling came shortly after a Superior court judge dismissed some of the charges in a separate a Dally charged Case that is moving toward trial. In the second Case judge John w. Ouderkirk of los Angeles Superior court dismissed 10 counts against three Black men charged with beating a White trucker during last Springs riots but left standing a variety of. Other charges including attempted murder. The three men still face possible life sentences in the beating of the trucker Reginald o. Denny. The beating took place at the Start of the riots that broke out after the four officers were acquitted in the beating of King. The three defendants Damian Williams 19, Antoine Milter 20, and Henry Watson 27, Are accused of taking part in a do2en beatings and robberies Over a two hour period at the Start of the riots last april 29. Their trial is set to begin March 15. The judge Friday dismissed torture charges against All three men As Well As charges of aggravated mayhem against Miller and Watson. He dismissed or reduced some charges of robbery against Miller on grounds of insufficient evidence. Miller s lawyers said they would ask an appeals court to dismiss the attempted murder charge against him. Ouderkirk had refused to dismiss the charge saying that As an Active participant in robbing Denny Miller had known that the attack would include violence. Williams the main defendant will face charges of attempted murder and aggravated mayhem As Well As a variety of other charges in several assaults and robberies during the riots. Prosecutors say Williams is shown on videotape smashing a Brick into the head of Denny while he lies bleeding on the ground rude Awakening detectives from the los Angeles county so crafts homicide and anti gang departments use a battering ram to break into a los Angeles residence Early Friday morn ing. The detectives were serving search and arrest warrants for suspects wanted in connection with a series of carjacking. Man nicknamed killer indicted in 2 deaths Coshocton Ohio apr a gun collector who got the nickname Quot killer Quot for boasting about shooting hundreds of animals has been indicted in the deaths of two of five outdoors men investigators said Friday. Prosecutors said they would seek the death penalty for Thomas Lee Dillon a 42-year-old Canton water department craftsman who has been in custody since nov. 27 on firearms charges. Dillon was charged with two counts of aggravated murder. More indictments could come later the of big a Dave Hanna  a lawyer Roger Synenberg issued a statement saying that Dillon denies any involvement in the slayings. A task Force of local state and Federal authorities has been investigating the shootings of at least five men who were Hunting fishing or jogging alone in Eastern Ohio Between april 1989 and april 1992. Dillon was indicted in the deaths of Gary Bradley 44, and Claude Hawkins 49. Both were killed while fishing last year Dillon emerged As a suspect after agents tailed a Man they said spent his weekends drinking Beer cruising Remote roads shooting at Utility poles and Road signs and killing More than 1,000 animals according to court documents Dillon a fellow employees said he boasted of killing dogs cats and cattle earning him the nickname  Dillon also told an informant that a a it would be easy to shoot someone Quot and that slayings in several different counties would cause jurisdictional problems for investigators according to court documents. Authorities have linked three other deaths to him. The victims were Donald Welling 35, killed while jogging in 1989 Jamie Paxton 21, and Kevin Loring 30, killed while Hunting in 1990. A person claiming to be Paxton a killer had written a letter to the times Leader in Martins ferry a year after Paxton a death. The letter gave details that authorities used to link the shootings. Texas governor sets vote for successor to Britsen from wire reports Austin Texas a gov. Ann Richards on Friday set May 1 for a special election to choose a senator to Complete the term of Lloyd n. Bentsen who resigned to become president Clinton s Treasury t Secretary. The term runs through 1994. Nine people have announced their candidacies including Democrat Bob Krueger Krueger was. Appointed by the democratic governor As interim senator and took office thursday candidates have until March 31 to file for the race which will be held without party primaries. If no candidate gets More than 50 percent a Runoff will be held Between the two with the most  clemency assailed Little Rock Ark. A when the new governor returned to Arkansas after watching his predecessor being sworn in As president he Learned that the acting governor had granted clemency to a convicted murderer and another Felon. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker says he  have freed the two men and on Friday he asked lawmakers to tighten controls on pardons and commutations. A state senator called for the resignation of the Senate president pro tem sen. Jerry Jewell who was acting governor while Tucker was away at president Clinton a inauguration. Jewell a Democrat from Little Rock granted clemency to Billy Ray Davis 40, convicted of murder in 1971 and sentenced to life in prison and Tommy Mcintosh 29, Given a 50-year term in 1987 for cocaine Possession. Porn tape memo surfaces Chicago a prosecutors gave a judge a government memo alleging that Al run gang members kept a pornographic video collection in Federal offices and May have watched the videos with Federal agents. The memo is the latest twist in a series of hearings seeking reversal of several convictions of members of the City s notorious Street gang. The hearings began when allegations surfaced that prosecutors withheld information that two Al runs testifying for the government had tested positive for drugs and were granted special favors by prosecutors. Written by two agents of the Federal Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms the memo says Bureau agents and other Federal officials engaged in a dangerous Quot Security practices while guarding Al runs who were testifying on behalf of the government Jean Harris leaves prison Valhalla . A Jean Harris the headmistress who fatally shot the a scars Dale diet doctor is free after 12 years in prison. Harris 69, was released five Days ahead of schedule Friday night from a Hospital where she was recovering from a blood clot in her leg. The complication arose after she underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery. Citing her health As a Factor gov Mario Cuomo granted her executive clemency just hours before she underwent surgery on dec 29, Harris had suffered two heart attacks while in prison. Harris was headmistress of the exclusive Madeira school for girls in Mclean va., when she shot and kilted or Herman Tarnower her Lover of. 14 years at his Home on March 10,1980.family wins aids Case Tampa Fla. A the parents of an 11-year-old Haemophilia a who died of aids he purportedly contracted from tainted blood products were awarded a $2 million judgment against a drug company. Steven Christopher and his former wife Brenda Walls claimed in a lawsuit that Armour pharmaceuticals knew for More than two years in the Early 1980s their products could transmit the aids virus but failed to Issue warnings. A Federal jury awarded each of them $1 million plus $7,200 to defray funeral costs for their son Jason who died last february. Some 20,000 americans have Haemophilia a hereditary condition that prevents the Normal clotting of blood and health officials estimate that half of them have tested positive for the aids virus