officers - The Black Vault

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city.
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' think anyone who is a student of -- - -- -~ _ _I psychology will look at these char- 1
when asked "if they have any biases, acters and see them for what they
she added. "Even though jurors are.
say, 'I can filter out their view- "It's inspired by defense counsel
point,' the truth is they will have to predispose potential jurors to
heard the defense story at least thihk these are just family guys
once before trial."
,caught up in the excitement of the
Sgt. Stacey Koon, Officers Bri- moment, that it was all King's
seno and Laurence Powell and ex- fault."
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officer Timothy Wind have plead- Defense lawyers said they are
not guilty to charges that carry merely trying to counter the tide of
I 10 years in prison and $500,000 in negative publicity against their elifines.
They are accused of violating ents that climaxed with President
Rodney King's civil rights in the Bush's nationally televised denun­
March 3, 1991, videotaped beating ciation of the not-guilty verdicts,
in Lake View Terrace after a high- during the rioting that killed '53
speed chase.
people and caused $800 million in
Defense attorneys deny that they damage.
are trying to sway a jury.
"We've just done a year and a
"I really am angry when I h~ar half of bad publicity," Braun said.
lawyers and legal experts say that "All Ted has done is answer ques­
I'm trying to get to a jury," said tions. For them to equate me with :
Powell's attorney, Michael P. the (publicity by the) government ,
Stone. "It's public information. or the state and the mayor and the
Most people still think the Simi president of the United States is lu-
, Valley verdict was a travesty of jus- dicrous."
i tice. That's just wrong, wrong, With the exception of Wind -
wrong. who has remained silent since the
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• "Any time somebody puts ami- beginning- the officers have de- ---~-- -- --- -~ ------ -----­
, crop hone in front of me and says, cided to tell all, even though they the beating was "the fear of a Man-
,) 'Talk ' I will talk. I see it as educa- know their public comments could dingo sexual ~ncounter" - a term
, tion,'~ he said. be used as evidence against the!ll, used by somy Westerners to deni-
Attorneys say speaking out also their attorneys say. grate Afric~n-American male
: has a cathartic effect, allowing the The federal prosecut