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Show Page Kight THE Court Tries Criminal Pretrial Shamanism Said Taught in Alaska School - A KOTZEBUE, ALASKA (UPI) missionary sect has accused the principal and board of Kotzebue Day School of teaching witchcraft and shamanism through a federally funded native arts program involving Eskimo dancing. A petition signed by 124 local residents demanded that Eskimo dancing "being taught to our children be removed from ,the sc hod program. Most of the petitioners were members of the Friends Church, a missionary sect which brought native dancing to a halt in this Eskimo village several decades ago. Jack Jones, who is a parishioner as well as a school board member, presented the protest, explaining that his ancestors had once danced for joy after a successful hunt, but that they also danced at big meetings where witch doctors were present. "We were made to understand this dancing is some sort of witchcraft and shamanism, he said. Shamans are legendary native priests who use magic to cure the sick and to summon gods, demons and ancestral spirits. But the dance class, established a month ago as part of an $80,000 federally funded native arts program, is so popular with young; Eskimos that they flock to early morning classes. And because of the program, many also have taken a renewed interest in their almost forgotten native language. School principal Charles Perry suggested the church sue him and the school board if it can prove Eskimo dancing is some form of witchery. So far he has had no takers. To Aid Studies Of Pollution NEW YORK (UPI) - The Ford Foundation has announced five grants totaling $216,560 for studies to combat worldwide pollution. The grants will go to five study teams to gather data on different areas of pollution. The results will be presented at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm in June, 1972. The Foundation said the immediate purpose of the studies is to give the UN conference information on which to base worldwide programs combating common pollution problems such as ocean dumping. The grants include: $77,760 to Columbia University to test the possibility of compiling an international register of chemical compounds; $79,000 to the Special Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the International Council of Scientific Unions (ICSU) for a study to design a worldwide pollution monitoring system; $25,000 to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to partially support a three-wee- k study showing the effect of man's activities on climate; $14,500 to the Committee on Water Research of ICSU to partially support a symposium on man-mad- e lakes; $20,300 to SCOPE for a follow-u- p study of man-mad- e lakes. six-mon- th two-mon- th SAN FRANCISCO - The Com- mittee of Bar Examiners of the State Bar reported today that 708 suc- cessful candidates had passed the 1971 Spring Bar exar rination. The 708 represent 40.8 percent of the 1734 who took the examination. This compares with 867 successful candidates, or 50.6 percent, who passed the March Bar last year, and 56.7 percent of the record 3182 who took the August 1970 examination. RECORD TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 1971 - CALIF. (ACCN) Criminal pretrial conferences, also referred to as "plea bargaining sessions," began recently in two SACRAMENTO, departments of the Sacramento Coiunty Superior Court. Preliminary results show that about half to three-fourtof the defendants in the cases scheduled so far for pretrial conferences are pleading guilty to charges and are not going for trial. While it is too early to tell what the precise effect the conferences will have on the master calendar will be, Superior Court Administrator Jim Arnold explained that reduction in criminal jury trials, which must be held within 60 days after a criminal case is filed, will make room for more civil jury trials to be held, which will reduce the number of cases on the civil active list awaiting hs trial. WASHINGTON (ACCN) A federal grand jury in New York has returned a superseding indictment in a narcotic conspiracy case which names the head of an organized crime "family as one of the eight defendants. John N. Mitchell said the four-couindictment was returned in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and unsealed today. The two new defendants named are Paul Sciacca, of 61, Massapequa, Long Island, and Michael Casale, 57, of Lindenhurst, Long Island. Both communities are in Nassau County, New York. Sciacca was identified in 1969 by nt Epithet at ut ed Clark Asserts Rehabilitation Convicts Need Lawmaker Wants Statehood For New York City - NEW YORK (UPI) Rep. Bella has announced plans Abzug, for a drive to gain statehood for New D-N.- York City. Charging that Gov. Nelson A. and the State and have "disfranchised Legislature Rockefeller disinherited the 8 million residents of the City, Mrs. Abzug told a news conference June 1, that she had started to form a committee to establish New York City as a state. She said the committee would collect petitions for a referendum to be put on the November election ballot asking Congress to admit the City into the Union. She said another committee would be set up to plan the feasibility of a City Constitutional Convention as soon as possible this year. Continued from page practices that "demagogues appealing to fear, hatred and tions ignorance decry a gentling influence on offenders. They speak of coddling criminals when in fact we frutalize. "They would have us believe you can beat heroin from the bloodstream of an addict with a club or evaporate whiskey from an alcoholic in a tank or bring understanding to a retarded person in a warehouse of human degradation and by that means solve problems, said Clark. Clark said less than $2 billion a year is spent on correctional activities and Congress should double that level, but "no more federal funds should be invested in prisons or jails housing more than 100 1 "Neither did I find it easy for me to be denied an opportunity to speak last month in my home city (Palo Alto) because some of its citizens disagree with the speed with which Americans are coming home from tember 11, 1970, all eiaht and sold 512 grains of heroin. bought In addition to Sciacca and Casale, the defendants are Pasquale "Pat Cioffi, Jack Stern, Eugene Ciuzio, Tito Ortiz, Reinaldo "Ray Povod Asia. (On April 8, a scheduled speech by Packard to the Western and Frank Barbara. Electronics Manufacturers Count three charges that Cioffi, Stern, Ciuzio and Barbara boiyht and sold 520 grams of heroin. Count four charges that Cioffi, Stern, Ciuzio and Ortiz bought and sold 998 grams of heroin. The original indictment, returned Feb. 22, 1971, grew out of "Operation Flanker, which was described at the time as the largest Federal crackdown ever staged on narcotics the Senate Permanent Subdistrbution by organized crime. committee on Investigations as the head of one of New Yorks five Mr. Mitchell said the eight month a families and as organized crime investigation resulting in this inmember of the organizations nine dictment was carried on by agents of member ruling commission. the Bureau of Narcotics and The indictment charges in one Dangerous Drugs, the Brooklyn count that from June 1, 1970 to Strike Force and the Nassau County September 30, 1970, Sciacca, Casale District Attorneys office. and six other men conspired to buy Maximum penalty on each count and sell heroin and divide the is a prison term of not less than 10 nor more than 40 years and a fine of profits. $20,000. Count two charges that on Sep-- Criminal pretrial conferences are very much like civil settlement conferences, which the court began in 1968, except that civil settlement conferences are scheduled 30 days ahead of the trial date by the Court Rules It presiding judge, at either the civil pretrial or setting conference upon Was OK to Yell request of the attorneys involved in a case. Currently settlement conSpiro ferences are requested in 95 per cent The OLYMPIA, WASH. (UPI) of civil cases in Sacramento County. ruled Court On the other hand, criminal Washington Supreme 27 it wasnt a crime to yell pretrial conferences are being May that at Spiro Agnew while "warmonger automatically scheduled three he a was giving political speech. weeks in advance of the criminal court reversed the disorderly The trial date. of Peter J. McDonough, a conduct In the procedure, defense and student who prosecution attorneys come at the Gonzaga University at Agnew during a political scheduled time or are called into the yelled in the 1968 Presidential judges chambers by the clerk to rally was campaigning negotiate for the plea. Once an campaign. Agnew Vice for the Presidency at the time. agreement is reached and the judge "Shouting the word warmonger approves, the attorneys and the more to indicate a but judge return to the courtroom, where the judge convenes the court, further purpose or intention of asks the charge, questions the breaking up the meeting ... did not amount to a disturbance of the defendant, gives the date for senpeace, in fact or in law, said the tencing or the sentence, and indicates where the defendant is to majority opinion written by Justice report after he leaves the court- Hugh J. Rosellini. The court said that when a large room. In each case the judge carefully crowd is tacitly invited to demoninforms the defendant of his right to strate its approval of a speaker on as is the case at a trial and asks if he is willing to give his party It is to be expected up that right, which would entitle political rally of those that opposing views in the him to confrontation of witnesses to are audience likely to convey their in a courtroom. be in an orderly but vocal disapproval He asks the defendant if he understands he is giving up his way. Me Donough shouted "warprivilege against if he is under the influence of any monger when Agnew was well into a speech to several thousand perdrug or intoxicant, if threats have been made to him regarding his sons. The Vice Presidential candidate stopped and asked, "who said plea, if he is pleading guilty because that? McDonough stepped forward he is indeed guilty, and if he understands the consequences of what to a balcony railing and replied, "I i gave the peace sign. he is doing, and does not proceed said it, until the answers from the defendant are appropriate and satisfactory. The judge also asks the defendant if he is acting with legal advice and if he has discussed all he knows about the case with his lawyer and if his lawyer has in turn discussed the case with his client. WASHINGTON (UPI) Former Clark Gen. said June Ramsey Atty. 1, that prisons could be done away with if America concentrated its resources on rehabilitating convicts "for only rehabilitation will protect the public when a prisoner is at large again. Clark told a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on correccross-examin- Replies to Student Wont Quit Reputed 'Godfather' Indicted once-witho- Ford Fund Grant DAILY Charges Postal Rates Increase Campaign Costs - WASHINGTON (UPI) The Postal Rate Commission has agreed to hear complaints of California Secretary of State Edmund G. Brown Jr., that higher postal rates would increase the influence of fat cats and special interests by raising election campaign costs. The Commission approved June 2 Browns petition to intervene in its continuing hearings on the request of the U.S. Postal Service to raise the first class stamp from 6 to 8 cents, air mil from 10 to 11 cents, and other classes by about one third. The higher rates took effect temporarily on May 16 pending approval by the five-memb- er commission. Brown, son of the former California governor, asked permission to file his detailed dan for reducing election mail rates. A spokesman said he did not intend to appear in person. "The proposed increase in postal rates would increase the influence of fat cats and special interests by increasing campaign costs contrary to the public interest, Brown contended. He said higher rates would inhibit the use of political mailing, make it more difficult to challenge an incumbent, and further handicap a person of modest means to aspire to political office. The Commission also granted a petition for intervention by the National Farmers Union, a nonprofit group which publishes a weekly newsletter and said it was a major user of first and second class mail. Approximately 60 petitions representing 200 intervenor groups have been approved thus far. Bring Suit to Association was moved from Palo Alto to San Francisco after several anti-wgroups announced plans to protest his talk.) ar On the other hand, Packard said he was pleased that we have complished so much ac- 1 East cease-firstrategic arms limitations talks, improved defense contracting, increased e; on-goi- minority employment end supervisory participation, steps toward a zero (baft call, reduced defense budgets but increased psy for all service people. "I believe these types of complex problems are solved by confronting them, not by abandoning their challenge. "Everyone knows I am not and will not become a career member of the government. There will come a time when I will leave the Department of Defense and Washington. My departure when it comes will be for personal reasons, not because I believe one can accomplish more by talking about a problem than he can by acting on it. Law Officer Shot by Woman Accused of Threatening Judge CONNERSVILLE, IND. (UPI) -A deputy sheriff has been shot and seriously wounded by a woman police said was trying to carry out a threat to kill the judge who denied custody of her grandchildren to their mother. Fayette County Deputy Sheriff James Leverton was shot, May 21, in the groin in a field near a drive-i- n restaurant where a woman identified as Mrs. Hazel I. Richardson, 53, of near Pendleton, stopped after threatening the life of Fayette Circuit Court Judge LeRoy C. Handy of Connersville. Mrs. Richardson fired several shots, one of which struck Leverton as he tried to rush her after police for nearly an hour attempted to apprehend her. She had brandished a pistol at them as she sat in her car, and officers eventually broke out the car windows with rocks and fired tear gas shells into the suto. The woman also wss wounded slightly in the hand as Detective Sgt. Donald Seffrin fired a shot in an effort to disarm her. Leverton and Mrs. Richardson were taken to Fayette Memorial Hospital here. Police Chief Earl Chowning said authorities had learned some time ego from persons who knew Mrs. Richardson that she had openly threatened the life of Judge Hanby and had said she would come here on May 21 to kill him. Two phone calls, one to Hanby and the other to the prosecuting sttomey here, were made that morning, substantiating the threat, Chowning said. Oil Firm Makes Stop Killing Of Polar Bears Gift For Minority An WASHINGTON (UPI) of called "Friends organization a Inc. filed suit has Animals, against the federsl government to stop unlimited killing of polar bears. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court here June 2, said there are only 10,000 to 15,000 polar bears left in the world and that they were in danger of extinction at the hands of hunters and oil developers. Of five Arctic nations where the polars roam, only the Soviet Union has banned killing of them, the suit said. It said Canada, Norway, Denmark, (which owns Greenland), and the United States permit the bears to be hunted, and said the worst offender was the United States, where unlimited Alaska has a season on them. Continental Oil Co. of Ponca City, Okla., and New York City, has made a $2500 gift for a second year to a consortium of three Los Angeles law schools to help minority students obtain a legal education. The grant will be divided equally between the University of Southern California Law Center, and the new law schools at UCLA and Loyola University. Allen L. Cleveland, Jr., vice president and general counsel of Douglas Oil Company of California, a wholly-owne- d subsidiary of Continental, forwarded the check to Dean Dorothy Nelson of U.S.C. Clevelsnd holds both an undergraduate and a law degree from - year-aroun- d, Law Students LOS ANGELES use. (ACCN) |