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News Digest Wednesday, October 4, 1995 Page 2 - 1 ■-* ! Verdict Continued from Page 1 “Oh my God!” shouted a factory worker in Toledo, Ohio. “Yes!” ex claimed an airport worker in Chicago. “I just can’t believe this!” said a YMCA staffer in Concord, N.H. At a pizza restaurant in Spring field, Mo., a hospital in Grants Pass, Ore., a state office building in Albany, N.Y., a high school in Albuquerque, N.M. — in short, almost everywhere — ordinary business stopped while people watched the verdict. Even politics took a breather. Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia had scheduled a news conference to announce whether he would seek re-election next year. He postponed it so as not to compete with Simpson. Eerily, the Simpson saga ended much as it had begun, with the fallen football superstar being transported in a white van to his estate while news helicopters tracked him overhead. Tuesday’s televised verdicts were the most-watched event since June 17, 1994, when Simpson, in a white Bronco with his friend A1 “A’.C.” Cowlings driving, led police on a sur real slow-speed chase viewed by mil lions. Cowlings was at the door to em a ‘ brace Simpson when he came home. Later, family members gathered for a champagne party on the lawn of Simpson’s lush estate. “Last June 13, ’94, was the worst nightmare of my life. This is the sec ond,” Goldman’s father, Fred, said at a prosecution news conference. “This prosecution team didn’t lose today. I deeply believe this country lost today. Justice was not served.” At a defense team news confer ence, Cochran insisted the issue of race, which he played heavily in the trial, did not overcome the facts. “This verdict speaks justice,” Cochran said. “This was a case based upon the evidence.” He denied playing “the race card,” saying instead that credibility had won out. “Race plays a part in everything in America,” he said. “But this stuff about playing a race card is preposterous.” He said he hoped the Los Angeles Police Department would alter shoddy investigative practices exposed in the trial. As the words setting Simpson free were spoken in court, his elderly mother, Eunice, seated in a wheel chair, wiped her eyes, held up her hands prayerfully and murmured words of thanks. i N6WS ^ in a Minute Mother found innocent of toddler’s murder McMINNVILLE, Tenn. — A 20-year-old woman who left her toddlers in an overheated car while she partied with four men at a motel was acquitted of murder Tuesday but found guilty of lesser charges. Jennie Bain Duckcr, a manic depressive with a history of alcoholism, was convicted of two counts of aggravated child abuse in the deaths of Devin, 2, and Dustin, 1. Duckcr claimed the boys’ June 6 deaths were an accident. The children died of hyperthermia when Ducker'left them strapped in their car seats for at least eight hours as the temperature insidesoared to an estimated 120 degrees. Ducker, who had been free on bail, was taken into custody immedi ately after the verdict. Each abuse count carries a prison term of 15 to 25 years. Sentencing was set for Nov. 9. Defense lawyer Mike Galligan said he would appeal, but that Ducker was prepared to go to jail. “I actually think she wants punishment. She feels very guilty,” he said. Bangladesh death toll reaches 129 DHAKA, Bangladesh — At least 129 people have been reported killed by floods in northern Bangladesh, including 13 children who drowned after being swept from their homes. In Dhaka, the Relief Ministry has recorded only 25 deaths since .monsoon floods began devastating the region Sept. 27. Newspapers, which on Tuesday put the death toll at 129, often report fatalities from natural disasters ahead of the government. The Bangladesh Observer said at least 13 children were washed away Monday from flooded homes in the hard-hit districts of Bogra, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Rangpur and Dinajpur. Ten other people drowned in flood waters in the northern region Monday, and poisonous snakes flushed out by the floods killed five people, the newspaper said. Macedonian leader injured SKOPJE, Macedonia — The man who led Macedonia to indepen dence was seriously wounded Tuesday in another act of violence in the Balkans — a car bomb ripped apart his armored Mercedes, killing his driver and shattering windows as High as the ninth floor. President Kiro Gligorov lost his right eye in the blast, according to Saso Ordanoski, director of Macedonian TV. In hours of neurosurgery, doctors removed shrapnel from the 78-year-old president’s head. Two suspects in their mid-20s were arrested in the bombing, authori ties said, but their identities were not released. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the blast, which also wounded Gligorov’s security officer and five pedestrians, one critically. --—---------;---;----I Nefcwraskan FAX NUMBER 472-1761 The Daily NebraskanfUSPS 144-080} is published by the UNL Publications Board. Ne braska Union 34,1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday during the academic year, weekly during summer sessions. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by phoning 472-1763 between 9 am. and 5 p.rn. Monday through Friday. The public also has ■ access to the Publications Board. For information, contact TunHedegaard, 436-9253,9 am. Subscription price is $50 for one year. Postmaster: Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St.,Lincoln, NE 68588-0448. Second-class postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1995 DAILY NEBRASKAN “My first obligation is to my young children, who will be raised the way that Nicole and 1 had always planned. ... But when things have settled a bit, I will pu rsue as my primary goal in life the killer or killers who slaughtered Nicole and Mr. Goldman. They are out there somewhere. ” Statement by OJ. Simpson read by his older son, Jason “I was always in prayer. I knew my son was innocent,” she said at the defense meeting with reporters. Across the room, Goldman mouthed the word “murderer” as the verdict was announced. KimGoldman, who spent most of a year in court honoring her dead brother’s memory, doubled over and sobbed, along with a younger brother and sister. At the courthouse, Simpson’solder son, Jason, read a statement from his father: “My first obligation is to my young children, who will be raised the way that Nicole and I had always planned. ... But when things have settled a bit, I will pursue as my primary goal in life the killer or killers who slaughtered Nicole and Mr. Goldman. They are out there somewhere. Whatever it takes to identify them and bring them in, I will provide somehow.” Simpson also noted that many will surmise he is guilty, acquittal or no acquittal. “I can only hope that someday, despite every prejudicial thing that has been said about me publicly, both in and out of the courtroom, people will come to understand and believe that I would not, could not and did not kill anyone,” his statement said. The jurors who acquitted Simpson in less than four hours of deliberations refused to speak with attorneys or explain their verdicts to reporters. The usually dapper jury came to court in uncharacteristically casual clothes. One black man smiled at the defense team as he entered the courtroom. “We won,” whispered defense at torney Carl Douglas, almost in amaze ment. Simpson’s sister, Carmelita Durio, said the family spent the night on “an emotional roller coaster,” praying to gether and steelingthemselves for what lay ahead. Her sister, Shirley Baker, who joined Durio in the courtroom almost every day at the trial, said she was elated. “I just feel like standing on top of this table and doing a jig,” Baker told reporters. The verdict reverberated from Los Angeles to the White House, where President Clinton watched the ver dicts on television, then wrote a state ment. “The jury heard the evidence and rendered its verdict,” Clinton said. “Our system of justice requires re spect for their verdict. At this moment our thoughts and prayers should be with the families of the victims of this terrible crime.” Earlier, Clinton was briefed on fed eral government plans to assist Cali fornia authorities if the Simpson ver dict triggered civil unrest. But the streets remained calm. Clinton vetoes lawmakers’ budget WASHINGTON — President Clinton today vetoed a bill that pays the costs of running Congress, telling lawmakers he won’t approve their budget until more work is done on federal spending bills. Clinton’s third veto as president came on a bill that allows for $2.2 billion in congressional spending—a $200 million reduction from fiscal year 1995. Announcing the veto, White House press secretary Mike McCurry said only two of 13 appropriation bills have been sent to Clinton for his sig nature. “If they send this bill... after they completed the people’s work, the presi dent will be willing to take care of their business,” he said. The Republican majority in Con gress sent the budget-cutting bill as a symbol of their eagerness to cut back government spending. “If they send this bill... after they completed the people's work, the president will be willing to take care of their business." MIKE MCCURRY White House press secretary McCurry said Clinton used the veto to express his concern over what the spokesman said was sometimes “pretty pathetic” work on the budget by Re publican lawmakers. The White House and Republicans are at odds over spending priorities, especially on Medicare, Medicaid, education and the environment. “The president wants to say to them, ' Look, we’ve got to get down to busi ness and get serious,” McCurry said. Acting on the only other spending bill sent to him, the president today approved the Military Construction Act, whichallows for spendingat mili tary bases to house soldiers. The ap proval came despite Clinton’s objec tions to $70 million in spending that McCurry said was unnecessary. “You might describe them as pork,” McCurry said. “And they will oink appropriately.” He said the $70 million was a small portion of the overall bill. If Clinton were given the line-item veto as he has requested “those certainly would have been provisions stricken from this bill,” McCurry said. Clinton’s previous two'vetoes came on a bill to lift the arms embargo in Bosnia and a measure reducing spend ing for the fiscal year that ended Oct. 1. Banished teenagers sent to prison Judge ends experiment in tribal rehabilitation EVERETT, Wash.—Two Indians banished to remote islands for rob bing a pizza deliveryman were or dered to prison Tuesday by a judge who cut shtirt the experiment in tribal justice because of problems supervis ing the teens. Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer said he had seen "some dramatic changes in the 18-year-olds since they were sent to islands in south east Alaska a year ago to undergo traditional Tlingit rehabilitation. But,he said,“l find that this experi ment has some flaws which unfortu nately threaten its credibility and in tegrity. I have determined, therefore, that it is time to end this experiment, while it can still be ended on a positive note.” Simon Roberts and Adrian Guthrie pleaded guilty last year to robbing pizza delivery driver Tim Whittlesey and beating him with a baseball bat. The judge agreed tb delay conven tional sentencing to let the teens par traditional rehabilitation^- banish ment to uninhabited islands for 18 months. Allendoerfer reminded the teens at the time that he reserved the right to sentence them to standard prison terms for their crime after the banishment ended. He also said he would take the banishment into consideration in de termining their sentences. At a hearing Tuesday, Allendoer fer said it appeared the boys had matured, shown remorse and learned more in exile than they would in prison. “In side the penitentiary, how often do you hear the word 'rehabilitation?’” he asked. But he said a split among the tribal judges raised questions about whether the experiment could continue with proper supervision.. Prosecutors recommended prison terms at the top end of the state’s standard sentencing range—about 3 1/2 years for Guthrie and about 5 1/2 years for Roberts. taking into consideration the im provement the boys showed, the judge imposed sentences at the low end of the range — two years and seven monthsfor Guthrie and four years and seven months for Roberts. He also gave them credit for roughly a year that they spent in jail prior to being banished. With time off for good behavior, Guthrie could be out in nine months and Roberts in about two years, pros-' ecutors said. The judge also held the boys jointly liable for $35,000 restitu tion to Whittlesey in the 1993 attack. “This sentence should have been imposed a year ago,” said Deputy Prosecutor Seth Fine. “Judge Allendoerfer thought this was a worm while experiment. I don’t believe in experimenting with public safety.” “This sentence should have been imposed a year ago. ” SETH FINE Deputy Prosecutor Public defender A1 Kitehing, who represented Guthrie, said he hopes other courts will consider such alter native programs. Guthrie “has come light years in his sensitivity and understanding of who he is and what he’s done,” Kitehing said. “I think the judge made a good decision,” Roberts said after the hear ing. Both teens told the court they be lieved they had benefited from their banishment. In August, after months of infight ing among tribal court members and reports of unauthorized travel by Rob- * erts and Guthrie, Allendoerfer asked the tribal judges for an evaluation. After receiving conflicting reports about the teens’ progress from fac tions of the tribal court, Allendoerfer ordered them last month to appear Tuesday with their lawyers. Allendoerfer had said he was con cerned about reports of inadequate supervision of the teens.