European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Fagerb the stars and stripes y a California court dials Justice via technology Fresno Calif. A two judges who weren to buying a lawyers argument turned to each other and grimaced enjoying one of the advantages of the nation s Only court that routinely hears arguments via Telephone Hookup. Teleconferencing in californians 5th appellate District courtroom lets lawyers argue their cases from the Comfort of their offices hundreds of Miles away. The judges in the nine county Central California District sometimes preside Over a near empty courtroom with Only a clerk on hand to place Monitor and record the Calls. Teleconferencing saves time hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and removes the sting from a judge s Glare. Or vice versa. A normally you May be intimidated by three justices glowering Down at you Quot said James Goff a lawyer in Orange county 250 Miles to the South. A but now you can glower Back and it s of. They can t see  a if my Knees arc quivering at least it does t show Quot said lawyer Ruth Mcclusky of Modesto 100 Miles to the North. San Francisco Bay area lawyer Paul Mudrich said rescuers Rush a Stretcher past a school bus that overturned thursday after colliding with a car on i a. 360 in Chesterfield county a. Thirty five people were Crete Steps a to find them a Home. Advocates for the homeless hailed the decision As an enormous Victor Over the City and its hospitals which Thev say regularly dump patients from psychiatric wards onto the streets and shelters without Hope of their finding stable housing or appropriate psychiatric services. Those patients often end up Back in the Hospital a or worse As m the Case of Christopher Battiste who is accused of bludgeoning an elderly Bronx woman to death Jan. I7. A this is the Dawn of a new  said Mary Brosnahan executive director of the coalition for the homeless a we can look Forward to the Day when our streets Are no longer a it a us Quot new York City had fought the lawsuit for nearly id the biggest advantage is being Able to dig quickly through files without appearing to Fumble. Some lawyers also said they have smoked cigarettes made faces or whispered with assistants. That helps them feel More relaxed and project Confidence they said. Three judges in the courtroom and up to five lawyer in their offices communicate with help from amplifiers and other a Zinos that eliminate the a cup Wail sound often associated with speakerphones. A a it a sort of disconcerting sitting in an empty courtroom talking to the air Quot said associate Justice Nikolas Dibiaso. A but it works real  lawyers and judges agreed the technology in t suitable for criminal jury trials and other conferences that require visual aids. But they feel it is suited for appeals court where arguments tend to be dry and procedural. A sometimes Quot said associate Justice Steven Vartabedian a you actually listen better when you done to have  the 1st appellate District in san Francisco and the . Bankruptcy court in san Jose recently installed identical equipment made by Guntner communications corp. In Salt Lake City but done to use it As extensively. Hurt though authorities said Only one was seriously injured the bus carrying a kindergarten class was returning from a trip to a circus in Richmond. Years saying it could Cost As much As $300 million to build new housing for the City a 10,000 to 15,000 mentally ill homeless people. On thursday City officials took heart from the court s emphasis that it was not requiring the City to build or fund such housing a but was leaving the specifics up to the appropriate agencies. Quot what the court is saving is that we need to. Really try to help patients find housing Quot said City corporation counsel o. Peter Sherwood. Quot that is quite a different thing from saving we have to actually provide the housing or find it prior to  Quot but advocates for the homeless posted to the court s Tough language. The court said for instance that the Law requires More than Quot a it a  cooperation and general  it directed the City and hospitals to  Steps and to give some Quot real Legal and practical Teeth to the Tak Quot i finding to sing for patients. Saturday fax arbuary go 1993desert storm go s trial on sex charge delayed from Wirt reports fort Buss text the court Mertie of an army sergeant charted with sexual lev assaulting a female reservist during operation desert storm we amp delayed thursday. The court of military Appeal granted a defense request for a stay to it can consider whether to throw out the sergeant s confession said fort Bliss spokesman Tony cuciniello. Sgt. David Martinez who has pleaded innocent contends the confession was coerced. The confession initially was ruled inadmissible but the trial judge s decision was overturned by the court of military review. Defense attorneys then appealed that decision. Jacqueline Ortiz a former reservist from Sapello n.m., alleges Martinez assaulted her Jan. 19,1991, in his tent in saudi Arabia. Jury selection had been scheduled to Start thursday. Sex congressman indicted san Antonio a former rep. Albert g. Bustamante and his wife Rebecca were indicted thursday on Federal charges of receiving bribes and illegal gratuities totalling $344,000 during his eight years in Congress. The Democrat was Defeated last november by. Rep. Henry Bonilla a Texas in the South Texas District. Bustamante and his attorney . Herndon told reporters that the Federal government spent $5 million on the Grarup jury investigation of the onetime South Texas Field hand and came up with no real violations of Law. A we will go before a jury and we will fight this and we will win Quot said Bustamante who faces a 10-count indictment. Child autopsies urged Harrisburg a. A a Pennsylvania lawmaker has called for a Law to require autopsies on  children younger than 3 whose cause or death is labelled sudden infant death syndrome. State sen. Roy afflerbach a Lehigh county Democrat said that Law enforcement officials believe that some deaths attributed to Side could be the result of child abuse. Afflerbach s Bill which has the backing of Side Parent support groups would require coroners and medical examiners to file copies of the autopsies and investigative reports with the state department of . Officer acquitted Trenton . A a Trenton police officer caught in a videotaped beating was acquitted thursday of official misconduct. Patrolman Earl Hill was found innocent of  charges after a jury in Mercer county Superior court deliberated for almost two Days. The charges against Hill attracted National attention because it came on the heels of the Rodney g. King Case in los Angeles. But in the Hill Case both the police officer and his alleged victim Thomas Downing Are Black. During the trial Hills attorneys argued that the officer acted properly to subdue Downing who was allegedly trying to interfere with the arrest of his girlfriends son. Prosecutors charged that Hill. Engaged in Lawless conduct and then tried to cover it up by filing false reports on  ban considered Ronald Mcdonald May be about to kick the habit. Mcdonald a corp., the worlds largest restaurant operator is considering Banning smoking in its nearly 9,000 . Outlets a move that anti tobacco activists see As a potential Milestone in their efforts to eliminate smoking from Public places. Mcdonald a president Edward h. Rensi and a her company officials have met in recent weeks with Mcdonald a franchisees to discuss ways to implement a smoking ban company sources said l Nur Day. A it s something we have on the front Burner a said a key executive. Mcdonald s has been a kind of corporate w Eather vane on social policy issues. Because of its High Protic on main Street its changes in policy have tended to Clear the Way for others. Kindergarteners Hurt . Ordered to seek Homes before freeing mental patients by new sudsy Albany n y. A the states top court has ruled that new York City hospitals no longer May discharge psychiatric patients to the streets without taking Quot con