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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 29, 1995)
Schellpeper trial begins By Catherine Blalock Staff Reporter Narcotics Officer Stephen Schellpeper of the Lincoln Police De partment has been charged with third degree as sault involv ing the arrest ofFrancisco Renteria. Renteria died at Lin coln General Hospital. Schellpeper was indicted along with Officer Luke Wilke and Schellpeper ^."of the Lincoln Fire Department. Last week, a jury found Wilke not guilty of third-degree assault. The status of Wright’s trial is unknown at this time. On Monday, the focus of the trial turned from Schellpeper to the jury. An empty courtroom was the set ting for Schellpeper’s trial. About a dozen family members and co-work ers gathered to support Schellpeper. The Renteria family was not present. Carlos Monzon, the family’s attorney, said members ofthe Renteria family do not feel their presence is needed. “If they wanted to go to a circus they’d go to Barnum and Bailey in stead of coming here,” Monzon said. Court was delayed for an hour and 15 minutes while Defense attorney Greg Schatz of Omaha tried to get the charges dropped. He argued that in Wilke’s trial, the closing statements of prosecution at torney Robert Bartle said no officers except Wilke used tactics that caused injury to Renteria’s neck, and Wilke did not see anyone else use force against Renteria. Endacott began talking about the time table for the trial. He expects to have the trial to the jury by July 7. Endacott asked if any of the jurors had seen media reports regarding un derlying events since the jury selec tion on June 5. Five jurors raised their hands. After a sidebar discussion with at torneys, Endacott recessed until all jurors could be questioned. During the break, Randy Thomas of Lincoln told Monzon that he over heard three jurors discussing the case. Monzon then felt he should alert the judge and met with Thomas to discuss the matter. Thomas had no comment as he left the courtroom. At 11:30 a.m., Judge Endacott re turned to notify everyone in the court room that two jurors had been re moved. A twelve-member all-white jury, was left to decide the fate of Schellpeper. Schatz, when leaving the court room for lunch, said the jurors were only dismissed for conflicts with their personal schedules. After the lunch hour, the attorneys gave opening statements. Prosecution attorney Robert Bartle said the two main issues that would be raised were whether Schellpeper put his knee on Renteria’s neck, or on his back or shoulder area as part of a hold used in a handcuffing process and whether or not using the 6 and 1 rope was justified. Schatz disagreed with Prosecutor Bartle about Francisco Renteria’s abil ity to speak English, citing that he had been in this country for 10 years. Schatz also told jurors, “If you find the amount of force Schellpeper used was reasonable, you have to find him not guilty.” NEW Prices •a 1 Hoar Vif #r 3x*~ Pneettiaj M™. Prinl Chesty Ri4§« University Satire East Park Plaza 40th & OM Chatty ' 141liT "IN THE MALL" V 421-3711 438-4323 466-8761 V Holding crime at bay objective of programs By Catherine Blalock Staff Reporter Crime on the University of Ne braska-Lincoln campus is low, and campus organizations are forming to keep it that way. Cather Watch began this summer to help cut down on crime in Cather Residence Hall. “I think students have the naive attitude that nothing’s going to hap B;n to me,” Cather Residence Hall irector Joel Johnson said. Cather Watch is educating students about the type of programs available to help students, he said. Information will be posted on the • bulletin board near the first floor el evator. Student assistants will be of fering programs to students, including sexual assault prevention and self defense programs. Jim Simpson, the senior student assistant in charge of Cather Watch, said its goal is to create a safe and secure living environment. Some additional goals are to get students to use educating services and to feel comfortable to see an SA if they’re having a problem. “We’re trying to increase their awareness,” he said. One of the biggest problems that Cather has is students forgetting to lock their doors. During the 1994-95 term, SAs began placing notes on students’ beds to remind them, Johnson said. Textbooks are the most stolen item in Cather, Johnson said. Students sit down in the lobby by •ihe <elevaif* to study and wUk forget something in their room. When they return, their books are gone, he said. Cather Watch plans to stay around for the fall and may expand to other dorms if they are interested, Johnson said. Campus Watch, similar to Neigh borhood Watch, plans to be in full gear by fall. Boon Lee Lim, a 25-year-old gradu ate of UNL, has been working toward making Campus Watch a reality since the Oct. 17, 1993, beating of Boon Chung Ong, a UNL student from Ma laysia. The beating occurred outside the north doors of the student union on the city campus. “I think it will benefit the whole campus. We all need to watch out for each other,” Lim said. ASUN will be taking over for Lim because he wil 1 be returning to Malay sia. “Campus Watch is a community effort to prevent crime on campus,” ASUN President Shawntell Hurtgen said. Student volunteers trained through the UNL police department will pa trol the campus and report anything suspicious to the UNL police, UNL Police Chief Ken Caublc said. Right now Campus Watch is trying to let students know that the organiza tion is there in order to recruit volun teers. When students return to fall classes, Campus Watch will be searching resi dence halls and greek houses for vol unteers. Anyone who is interested can soptact the ASUN.9fifw9» ?:>■/&,* a i .