European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes -5 Zuj . A wednesday May 16,1994 Helena Mont. Apr a Federal judge struck Down the Brady Law requirement that local police conduct background checks on prospective gun buyers but left intact the measures five Day waiting period. The ruling by . District judge Charles Lovell guts the Law said Paul Williams executive director of the citizens committee for the right to keep and Bear arms based in Bellevue Wash. A we now have a Brady Bill that has no purpose except to make Law abiding people wait a Williams said. But Larry Ellison a professor of constitutional Law at the University of Montana said the decision does not necessarily have any Impact outside Montana. Other Federal courts could reach different conclusions and the supreme court would ultimately have to resolve the Issue. A a the ruling is believed to be the first decision in several National Rifle association backed challenges filed around the country. The Law took effect feb. 28. Lovell ruled monday that the background Check requirement violates constitutional limits on the Federal governments authority by commandeering state and local officials to administer a Federal Law. During the waiting period local Law enforcement agencies Are supposed to Check to make sure a gun buyer is an adult and does no to have a felony record or a drug alcohol or mental problem that would bar a purchase., a a a a a. A. ,. Lovell ruled that the background checks could Force state and local officials to increase budgets or Cut services to comply hobbling their re election chances. But the judge said that eliminating background checks does not affect the waiting period. A in trying to protect the Law the Justice department had argued that the background checks arc optional. But Lovell disputed that noting that congresses turned Down attempts to make the checks discretionary. The Justice department had no immediate comment on the ruling. A handgun control inc., the Washington based lobbying group founded by Sarah and James Brady also had no immediate comment. The Law is named for Brady the White House press Secretary wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on president Reagan. The lawsuit was filed by Ravalli county sheriff Jay Printz. About a half dozen Era backed sheriffs in several states have sued. Printz said the ruling addresses his major concern the Laws Impact on local agencies already Short of staff and Money. A. The decision also Means authorities do not have to worry about liability should a faulty background Check allow the wrong person to buy a gun he said. In the stars and stripes 10 years ago May 18,1984 a president Reagan will get fewer than half the my nuclear missiles he wants and those will be tied to renewed .-soviet arms talks under a Compromise approved by the House and backed reluctantly by the administration. 20 years ago May 18,1974 a the Senate armed services committee disclosed that it voted to reduce Mill tary manpower by 2 percent including a 20 percent Cut in . Support troops in Europe Over the next two years. 30 years ago May 18,1964 a army Secretary Stephen Alles said he saw no possibility of the draft ending in the next two to three years. He denied politics was involved in the current reduced draft Call . 40 years ago May 18.1954 the . Supreme court in a landmark decision ruled unanimously that racial segregation in Public schools is unconstitutional. 50 years ago May 18,1944 a after army air forces Gen. Henry h. Quot Hap Quot Arnold warned that a 5-Day-old strike of 3,000 foremen at Detroit War plants a a might affect invasion operations a the foremen s association of America voted to Call off its strike. World War ii 50 years ago today May 18 1 a 9 a 4 �4 v an Allied .-.-.40 cargo ship Falls victim a to a German torpedo in the Mediterranean the last sinking by a nazi submarine in that body of water. . Soldiers land on inso emar Island off the new Guinea coast and. Quickly capture their main goal Wadke Airfield. In Western Italy. Polish troops take the ruins of Monte Cassino monastery ending the Long. Bloody Allied fight to gain Tho position. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc. The world almanac of world War ii. Bison books corp., 1981 2 in Portland Ore. Apr the Man who whacked figure skater Nancy Kerrigan above the knee and his getaway car Driver were sentenced monday to a years in prison after pleading guilty. Hit Man Shane Stant and his Uncle Driver Derrick Smith pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit second degree  Quot Shawn Eckardt a sometime bodyguard for rival skater Tonya Harding pleaded guilty to racketeering for helping Hatch the plot. His sentencing was postponed until july 11. All three men had agreed to plead guilty in Exchange for 18-month prison terms. A a a a slant and Smith admitted that they conspired with Eckardt and Harding a a husband Jeff Gillooly to assault Kerrigan. A a  a a a Harding pleaded guilty March 16 to one count of conspiring to hinder prosecution in the attack and received three years probation. As he left the courtroom Eckardt expressed bitterness toward Harding. A i feel that if she a going to continue to act in the manner in which she has she should become a better liar a he said. Mul Tomah county circuit judge Philip Abraham told the three that they had tampered with one of the most cherished and revered athletic events. The olympics  a one of the purposes of the olympics is to Foster peace among nations in a peaceful athletic Competition. You gentlemen have introduced  this revered tradition a he said. Kerrigan was struck with a Metal Baton Jan. 6 As she left practice at the National skating championships in Detroit. The attack forced Kerrigan to withdraw from the . Figure skating championships. Harding then won the championship and qualified for the Winter games in Lillehammer Norway where she finished eighth. Kerrigan was also selected to the . Olympic team and won the Silver medal. In her guilty plea Harding admitted that on Jan. 10, the Day she returned Derrick Smith right and co conspirator Shane Stant second from left appear in court for sentencing. With them Are attorneys Terri Wood left and Clayton Lance. From Detroit she conspired with Gillooly arid Eckardt to deceive Law enforcement personnel. Gillooly pleaded guilty feb. 1 to racketeering in a Deal with prosecutors that Calls for a two year prison term. He told authorities that Harding was in on the plot and gave the final go ahead. Gillooly is scheduled for sentencing july 5. According to Gillooly Eckardt came up with the idea of doing something to Kerrigan. Gillooly said the plot was conceived in late december after Harding received what she Felt were unfairly Low Marks in a Competition in Japan. She Felt Kerrigan was the favorite of . Figure skating officials. The idea was to remove Kerrigan As an obstacle to Harding a participation in the olympics. Eckardt knew Smith and contacted him about arranging the assault and Smith hired his Nephew Stant. Gillooly told authorities that the two agreed to do it for just $5,000 because they were convinced that they would get Rich providing bodyguard services to other figure skaters who were concerned about their safety. Smith issued a statement after the hearing saying he wished to apologize to Kerrigan and a to the american Public for adversely affecting this country a olympic aspirations Quot Maryland executes killer of 3 teens Baltimore a a Man who killed three teen agers in 1990 after being mistakenly released from prison was put to death by injection Early tuesday in Maryland a first execution in 33 years. John Frederick Thanos 45, went to his death at the Maryland Penitentiary after refusing to file any appeals. A radios Quot he said when asked if he had any final words. As the lethal drugs were fed into veins in his legs he said a there it comes  the intravenous line was placed in his leg rather than his Arm because Thanos was a drug user and officials thought it would be easier to find a vein. The Day and time of the execution were not announced in Advance in accordance with a 1922 state Law Thanos was executed for the shooting death of Gregory Allen Taylor 18, of Hebron who was murdered in 1990 after he gave Thanos a ride on the Eastern Shore. Thanos was also under separate death sentences for the murder of Billy wine Brenner 16, and Melody Pistorio 14, the two were slain during a filling Sta Tion Holdup less than a week after the Taylor slaying. The murders occurred after Thanos was released 18 months Early from prison on a robbery sentence because his time off for Good behaviour was miscalculated. The execution was carried out in a newly remodeler lethal injection chamber alongside Maryland a Gas chamber which was last used in 1961 for the execution of Nathaniel Lipscomb a murderer and rapist. Thanos refused to Appeal the convictions and sentences