European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 09, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Sunday january 9,1994 Black leaders oppose stiff crime Bill by the new York times Washington with their communities so rav aged by crime that even people such As the Rev. Jess Jackson Are saying they sometimes fear encountering Young Black men on the Street a group of Black politicians sociologists ministers celebrities and civil rights leaders met Friday in what some acknowledge is an increasingly desperate search for answers. While they agreed the problem is rapidly spinning out of control they condemned the solution most often offered to Deal with it stiffer prison sentences and More jail cells. We be got to take the initiative even if it s an Uphill struggle to move government and the country away from this simplistic approach to the crime problem rep. John Conyers jr., d-Mich., said at the Confer ence organized by Jackson. The hard line method is embodied in the crime Bill recently passed by the Senate. Participants at the con Ference including members of the congressional Black caucus vowed to fight the measure when the House takes it up later this month. The measure which has the backing of the Clinton administration Calls for mandatory minimum prison sentences for certain violent crimes the construction of More jails restrictions on death Row appeals and per mitting prosecutors to charge juveniles As adults for certain Federal crimes. In a marriage of Liberal and conservative views on preventing crime it also would ban certain models of assault weapons and provide Money to hire 100,000 More police officers to patrol the nation s streets. But Many conference participants argued that in creasing prison sentences and building More jails will not solve the crime problem. They contend that the prison population has nearly tripled since 1980, and yet the crime rate particularly in Black neighbourhoods has continued to Rise. More Over they said the rate at which people Are victimized by criminals is growing four times As fast among Blacks As among Whites. Black on Black crime has become so pervasive Jackson told a news conference in Washington on Friday that we have come to accept it As Normal during the conference Jackson noted that there had been four shootings near his residence in Washington in recent months. Even staunch opponents of the crime measure acknowledged Friday that it would be difficult to derail it. The measure Aims to spend $22.3 billion Over five Pearson anti crime efforts. Still conference participants said they intend to Back an alternative measure drafted by the Black caucus. That Bill directs More Money into crime prevention programs Ding treatment and Job creation. This is a very important conference said rep. Don Edwards a Calif. It is the opening shot in one of the great Battles we re going to have not Only in 1994, but in the coming decade. Mother gets 10 years for court slaying Sonora Calif. A a Mother who fatally shot her son s alleged moles Ter in a courtroom said a judge was right to reject her plea for clemency and sen tence her to 10 years in state prison. It was fair Ellic Nesler said after the sentence was handed Down Friday by sue error court judge William pol Fey. The Onora woman smiled As sheriffs deputies at both elbows led her away in Handcuffs. Policy gave her a sentence of six years for voluntary manslaughter and an additional four years for using a gun to com Mit the crime. Nesler was allowed 15 minutes with her son and daughter Ages 12 and 8, be fore deputies transported her to the women s prison in Chowchilla. The Chil Dren left the meeting in tears. Nesler 41, could be paroled in five years but her lawyers and relatives won Der if she will live that Long. She is suffer ing from cancer. Or. Frank Stockdale of Stanford medi Cal Center told the judge that Nesler has a 50 percent Chance of recovering from the Rev. Jesse Jackson addresses an anti violence Summit Friday in Washington. Listening from left Are entertainer Bill Cosby rep. John Conyers jr., a Mich. And rep. Maxine Waters a Calif. Gun offences drop during . Gift Exchange by the new York times new York during a 16-Day toys for guns Exchange program in a Washington Heights police precinct reports of armed felonies decreased substantially in the area compared with the same period last year the police said Friday. The Exchange Effort in which guns were traded for certificates for toys and other gifts ended Friday after collecting 1,502 firearms. Police officials acknowledged that the period was too Short and the number of crimes too Small to draw any firm conclusions about program s effectiveness. But it. Rubin Wexler of the 34th precinct where the program took place said he thought there was a connection. I believe it has a lot to do with turning in guns he said. Any reasonable person would have to As sume that turning in guns would reduce  from dec. 22 to tuesday Wexler said reported assaults involving guns in the 34th and two adjoining precincts in upper Manhattan dropped from 10 to two gun Possession arrests from 18 to 11 and armed robberies from 53 to 28. Homicides of All types Rose by one to six. The Fig ures were first reported saturday in new Day. Davidian survivors . Set for courtroom standoff Ellie Nesler. Loses bid for clemency breast cancer that has spread throughout her body. She had requested probation instead of a prison sentence Nesler faced a maximum of 16 years in prison for firing five bullets into the neck and head of Daniel Mark Driver 35, in a courtroom in near by Jamestown on april 2. San Antonio a the confrontation that ended last Spring in Hel Lish fire and the deaths of religious Leader David Kupresh and More than 80 Branch Davidian devotees moves monday into Federal courtroom. Eleven surviving followers Are left to defend themselves against murder charges stemming from the botched raid on the cult s Waco area compound by agents of the . Bureau of alcohol tobacco and firearms last feb. 28. Gun fire killed four at agents and six ranch davidians. A 12th Follower charged with the others last August in a 10-count indict ment pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in Exchange for her testimony in the murder trial. Prosecutors will try to prove the defendants murdered the agents As part of a conspiracy to fulfil the 33-year-old Koresh s doomsday vision that the world would a id after z cataclysmic clash wit the government. The 51-Day standoff that followed the at raid ended april 19 in an inferno As the Fri tried to Force a surrender with tanks and tear Gas. Defense attorneys intend to show the government was to blame for the initial gun Battle in february by going ahead with a poorly planned raid even after los ing the element of Surprise. The defense plans to Call . Attorney general Janet Reno former at director Stephen e. Higgins and former Fri director Wil Liams s. Sessions As witnesses. Because of intense Media coverage in the Waco area during the standoff the trial was moved to san Antonio. Under Federal conspiracy Laws prosecutors May assert that any Oak fresh s followers who contributed in any Way to the group s ultimate alleged criminal acts can be prosecuted for the murders of the Federal agents. Under that Legal doctrine prosecutors have filed murder charges against Branch Davidian Paul Fatta 35. Federal investigators have held Fatta responsible for arming the group even though he was away from the mount Carmel compound the morning of the raid. Besides Fatta the Branch Davidian defendants Are Norman Allison .25 Renos Avraam 29 Brad Branch 34 Jaime Castillo 25 Graeme Craddock 32 Cave Doyle 52 Livingston Fagan 34 Woodrow Kendrick 63 Ruth Ottman Riddle 30 and Kevin Whitecliff 32