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Tk y JL/CULly Cuban opener
Nebraskan
Michelle Paulman/DN
Lancaster County Sheriff's Deputy Joe Lefler examines a body found Monday morning near Neiden Iron and Metal Co. Inc.,
525 N St.
Body of woman, in 30 s,found by tracks
By Susie Arth
Senior Reporter
The body of a woman was
found lying face down in a
pool of water Monday morn
ing iivwest Lincoln, police said.
Lancaster County Attorney Gary
Lacey said an autopsy performed
on the body late Monday afternoon
indicated that the body was that of
a white female about 30 years old.
Although Lacey said he was un
able to identify the body, he was
Autopsy shows drowning is cause of death
certain it was not canuice narins,
a UNL student who has been miss
ing for almost two months.
Lacey said the woman had died
from drowning, and he rejected the
possibility that the woman was hit
by a train. The body was found near
train tracks.
The death did not appear to be a
homicide, Lacey said, but he would
not yet rule out the possibility.
i nc autopsy muicaieu tnat uie
body had been in the pool of water
for at least two days, Lacey said.
“We real 1 y don ’ t know too m uc h
right now,” he said. (
Sgt. Ann Heermann of the Lin
coln Police Department said the
body was found directly south of
Nciden Iron and Metal Co. Inc.,
525 N St.
The property is owned by the
railroad, she said.
Mike Bcran, special agent of the
railroad police, said a railroad em
ployee on his way to work found
the body at about 7:45 a.m. Mon
day.
Police arrived on the scene at
about 9 a.m. to examine and re
move the body from the shallow
pool. They searched the surround
ing area for clues to the cause of
death.
Lacey said he would continue
investigating the case.
Spanier
aims to
protect
education
By Chuck Green
Senior Reporter
With the possibility of across
the-board budget cuts loom
ing for the University of
Nebraska, UNL Chancellor Graham
Spanier said he would remain com
mitted to preserving the quality of
higher education in Nebraska.
BUDGET swered questions
from the media
Monday in his
conference room
I after the first day
of budget plan
ning meetings
among him and members of his cabi
net.
Although he declined to predict
how much would be cut from the
university’s budget, Spanier said the
See BUDGET on 3
Admission
standards
go public
By Shelley Biggs
Senior Reporter
Public hearings to discuss pro
posed changes in admissions
standards for three University
or Nebraska campuses will start
Wednesday in Omaha, an official said.
Joe Rowson, director of public af
fairs for N U, said the hearings were an
opportunity for NU President Martin
Massengale to receive input on the
proposal to tighten admissions stan
dards at the University of Ncbraska
Lincoln, the University of Nebraska
at Omaha and the University of Nc
See ADMISSIONS on 3
Nebraska drivers face stiffer DWI penalties
Attorney warns
motorists of laws
By Susie Arth
Senior Reporter
Nebraska drivers will have a
long road of penalties ahead
of them if they gel pulled over
for driving under the influence of
alcohol in 1993, a lawyer said.
Shelley Stall, director of Student
Legal Services at the University of
Ncbraska-Lincoln, said a new DWI
law that would take effect Jan. 1 was
much than the old law.
“We’re really concerned about
notifying people of the new law,” she
said.
One major change is that drivers’
licenses will be taken away immedi
ately if drivers fail breath, blood or
urine tests, she said. Temporary li
censes, valid for 30 days, will be
issued to the drivers, she said.
All this, she said, will be done
before drivers’ guilt or innocence is
determined in court.
A driver then has 10 days to re
quest a hearing before the Nebraska
State Department of Motor Vehicles
on the revocation of the license, Stall
said.
This administrative hearing must
be.scheduled within 20days, she said.
If drivers fail in presenting thcii
cases at the hearings, she said, the
temporary licenses will become in
valid, and the permanent licenses will
be revoked for 90 days.
Drivers can appeal the decision tc
a district court, she said.
Stall said the administrative hear
ing was different from a court hearing
because a driver only had to be found
guilty of DWI by a preponderance ol
the evidence, whereas in court hear
ings, guilt must be proved beyond 2
reasonable doubt.
“It’s safe to say that you’ll prob
ably lose the hearing,” she said.
Stall said similar laws were found
to be constitutional in other states.
She said she was uncertain if
Nebraska’s law would stand the tes
of time.
At the same time as the administra
live hearings, the drivers will be go
ing through the standard county cour
procedure, she said.
Stall said the punishments for the
offense would be more severe.
The old law had a maximum pen
alty of seven to 30 days in jail, a $500
fine and a 6-month revocation of the
driver’s license for a first offense, she
said.
The new law’s maximum jail sen
tence is 60 days for a first-time of
fender.
Stall said the terms of probation
also would be checked on a more
regular basis under the new law.
Another new part of the law, she
said, includes terms for a fourth of
fense, for which the maximum pen
alty is 5 years in jail and a $10,000
fine.
Stall said she doubted the new law
would deter many drivers from driv
ing under the influence of alcohol.
“The new law may make a differ
ence in a few individuals,” she said. ‘‘I
think what people need is alcohol
L education.”
Stall said it also was important for
drivers to remember their rights if
they were pulled over by police offic
See DWI on 3
^ 19
The new DWI few wil take effect fen. 1. Om major chance to that driven*
licenses wil be taken away immediately if driven fafl breath, Mood or ariM
teats and temporary licenses, vald for 30 days, wK be issaed to the driven.
1992
Maximum
7*30 Hays )aH
$500 fine
6 mo. rev. Heense
./
Minimum
7 days lad
$200 fine
0 mo. Wt Heense
I
30 days fall
$500 flue
1 yr. susp. Heense
Maximum
60mo.JaH
$500 line
_15 yr. susp. license
Source: Student Legal Services _/J_