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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 1978)
daily nebraskan monday, december 4, 1978 lincoln, nebraska vol. 102 no. 54 Course to give law students criminal court insight By Kris Hansen Senior law students will be able to gain criminal law experience by prosecuting cases for the county attorney's office next fall. The new course, counterpart to the civil suit program, will allow ten seniors to try misdemeanors under the supervision of a deputy county attorney. "The purpose of the class is to let stu dents see the criminal process from a prac tical orientation," said Associate Law Pro fessor Peter Hoffman, who designed the class. Hoffman said students would learn skills not taught in other classes, such as how to interview witnesses. Students would also get a feel for the ethics in legal practice, he added. Entire case handled County Attorney Ron Lahners said stu dents would deal with all types of misde meanors, including petty larceny, assault and battery and possession of marijuana. They will handle the entire case, from formulating the complaint through the actual prosecution, he added. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that seniors can work in court if supervised by a licensed attorney, Lahners said. Lahners said the seniors probably would start slowly and work up to more cases, depending on their proficiency and class schedules. "This is an excellent thing for students," Lahners said, "it will be a tremendous help for students trying to get practical experience." Lahners noted that the class should take some pressure QiMgilhimm s., freeing them for more serious cases. f UNX will endbBiit- $3t,OO0 a year for a secretary id?aefy, county attorney to supervise the students. Lahners said the deputy has not been chosen. Hoffman said the six-credit course will be awarded by lottery to the ten students. After signing up, the students will be chosen randomly just before preregistra tion. Students who were not chosen for the first session will have prioritv for the next session, Hoffman said. Hoffman said that, alhtough the new course has not been publicized widely, he expected a favorable response to it. While some students may think it would not ap ply to them, it would be helpful, he added. "Ninety percent of our students think they won't end up as criminal lawyers, but they will all end up dealing with at least one criminal case," Hoffman said. Junior law student Barb Purvis said she had heard a favorable response to the class from other students. "People have been reacting to it with real enthusiasm," Purvis said. "There's really no other chance to get the really personal experience it offers. It's exactly what I wanted to do." Junior Curt Maschman said the course will provide an opportunity to learn about the criminal as well as the civil side of law. He added that, although he thought it would take time, it woula be worthwhile. "It will be time consuming, but not be cause you have to-because you want to," he said . Randy Wright, junior, said he thought the course will be beneficial. "As long as it's under supervision, you know it won't be abused in any way," he added. - - - ----- - - - --- -- -- Lincoln, Nebraska: aka Icicle City Photo by Mark Billingsley Moylan supports student government with limited powers Photo by Td Kit Regent James Moylan inside monday Chestnuts roasting on an open fire: Persons with fireplaces need to take special precautions. . . .page 7 Frontier farce: Gobi' South with Jack Nicholson is light-hearted comedy page 8 Ice Enters Sports Complex: Cold shooting Huskers lose to Purdue page 10 By Lucy Bighia Editor's note: This is the first in a series of in-depth profiles of the eight members of the NIJ Board of Regents. James H. Moylan, 58, represents south east Douglas County, district Stontbi Uni versity of Nebraska Board-of Regents. He's a practieingOmaha, attorney who gradu ated from Creightorf Universityin 1952. He first was elected regent in 1970 and was re-elected in 1976. His term expires in 1982. He's married, has six children, two cars and seven bicycles. Last year Moylan was a registered lob byist for 10 state organizations, and has been described by informed sources, both in and out of the state capitol, as being a powerful force in the Nebraska Legislature. His father, Harold Moylan, who died last month, was a state senator for 14 years. Moylan is employed by the following organizations as either an attorney or legis lative worker: Building Construction Trades; Council of American Consulting Engineers; Douglas County; Johnson Eater prises; Nebraska Association of County Officials; Nebraska Association of Trial At torneys (to which Robert Simmons, regent from Scottsbluff, also belongs); Nebraska Credit Union League (which sponsored the ASUN Credit Union); Nebraska Indepen dent Bankers Association; Nebraska Licensed Beverage Association; and Nebraska Shorthand Reporters. Moylan voted against mandatory student fees for speakers last spring, and has consistently voted against alcohol on campus. He believes regents should listen to their taxpaying constitutents, a constitu ency of which students are a small part. He said he thinks current student fees are "excessive," and believes the University of Nebraska remains "competitive" with other schools in the Big Eight in student fees, faculty salaries, research and tuition. He said NU students lack the proper amount of interest in their student govern ments and is not in favor of giving the stu dent governments more power. He said he thinks the students, rather than the student government, shouw determine whatbest for them. He said he is against a voting student regent. The following is an excerpt from a Dec. 1 taped interview with Moylan. DN: Why did you want to become a regent? , Moylan: Well, I think probably politics. Fve been involved in politics in Nebraska for almost twenty years . . .1 just thought I would like to give it a chance, become a member of the board and get involved in the educational process. DN: What do you see as your role as a regent? Moylan: Well, I think the main role of a regent, or the board. . is to establish policy, for the administration, for the Uni versity of Nebraska. And I think in our state, where the regents are elected, that you have a constituency to answer to, with respect to the manner with which you cast votes in the governance of the university. DN: How much correspondence did you receive jbout the speakers issue last spring? Moylan: I received quite a bit of cor respondence. . .a considerable amount, which were aware of the issue. People knew we governed the university and were in opposition to student fees being used to import speakers who they didn't feel were of any value to the students, the university oi the education. DN: Were most of these people students or parents of students? Moylan: No. Most of them were consti uent taxpayers, some who had gone to the university, some who had never gone. As you know, I'm the one who opened up the issue for the study of student fees last summer, and it's still my feeling that ftOthei than for the necessities for thestu- aejn-wpfiile they Ye on iartipus-I just, don't feel there ought to be any excessive student fees. DN: Do you think that the student fees charged now are excessive? Moylan: Well, I do, and I think in the uses of them. I think you do need student fees for the medical services for the students. There's some bonded indebted nesses on the student centers which have to be redeemed. I think student fees probably should be used for the student centers, but some of the other areas, and some of the programs that they're supporting, for in stance day care centers, some of the speak ers they were bringing in, 1 .really don't think they were utilizing the fees in the best interests of the majority of the students on campus. DN: In which areas do you hink stu dent fees should be cut back? Moylan: Students fees . . . should be used in a manner which would benefit a good majority of the students on campus, not just a minority of the students: I think your -health center, I think your student union they're of benefit to a vast majority of the students. The student government probably needs some, although there isn't much participation in student government. Continued to Page 6