News Scrapbook 1989

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New dean of USD law school privately supports abortion

· Thursday, August 3, 1989 L cas: ltlple-murderer is impassive whefrdeath sentence is handed down

USD chool and becommg one of 11 female law dean in the United States. She also plans to teach a course this fall in ivil procedure. As dean, she succeeds Shel- don Krantz, who resigned last year but re- mains on the faculty. In her first in-person interview since she wa appointed to the post in April, Strachan talked about worn n, Watergate and the Southern California lifestyle.

Lucas, was altered a week ago Mon- day when a male Juror was replaced by a female juror for what Hammes said was "legal cause." Williams de- clined to say why the unidentified juror was replaced, as did defense attorneys Alex Landon and Steven E. Feldman. Feldman, however, said defense motions for a new trial will raise legal issues raised and debated prior to and during the trial. "Some of the activities of the past two weeks will be addressed," Feld· man said, in reference to the replace- ment of the juror and other issues that were heard behind closed doors. The San Diego Union and The Tri- bune sought to gain access to the records covering the closed-door ses- sions and to gain access to all hear- ings, but were denied by Hammes. The newspapers have petitioned the 4th District Court of Appeal to order Hammes to give the media access to records and transcripts of the pro- ceedings. Williams said the length of deliber- ations caused him anxious moments. "I'm gratified the jury chose the penalty they did," he said. "They were obviously a conscientious group of people, very concerned about the penalty they chose and I think they chose the right on

father of Anne Swanke, for reaction were unsuccessful late yesterday. While the jury convicted Lucas of three murders and one attempted murder, it was unable to reach ver- dicts in connection with the Oct. 23, 1984, slayings of Rhonda Strang, 23, and Amber Fisher, a 3-year-old girl Strang was baby-sitting in her Lake- side home. Lucas was found not guilty of the Dec. 8, 1981, murder of real estate agent Gayle Roberta Gar- cia, 29, who was found slain in a Spring Valley home she was sched- uled to show a prospective buyer. Deputy district attorney Daniel T. Williams, who prosecuted the case with deputy district attorney George W. Clarke, said he would confer with District Attorney Edwin L. Miller Jr. before deciding whether to prosecute Lucas again for the Strang-Fisher murders. Becky F1Sher, an aunt of Amber Fisher, attended the trial from its in- ception. Although disappointed a ver- dict was not reached in the murder of her niece, Fisher said the jury's decision calling for Lucas' death was "the right decision. We couldn't ask for more." While the verdict by the jury was rendered after seven days, it was a 13-day ordeal or waiting for Lucas and his family, and the families of victims. The original jury, which convicted

Continued from A-1 remanded Lucas to custody without bail pending a Sept. 19 sentencing, when she is expected to hear defense motions for a new trial or a motion to set aside the jury's decisions. Michael Jacobs, husband and fa- ther of two of Lucas' victims, said the verdict is what he expected. "' feel he's getting what he de- serves," Jacobs said outside the courtroom. "I feel no compassion for David Lucas at all. He didn't have any for my wife and my child." Joseph Masewicz of Riverside ech· oed his brother-in-law's feelings. "Frankly, I think the death penalty is too good for him," Masewicz said in a telephone interview. "I'm really bitter about the whole thing. I took offense at the defense's depiction of my sister, demeaning her name. "He should be taken out right now. I think the death penalty is too light. I went to clean up the mess at the house aft.er the murders. It was worse than anything I saw in Viet- nam. "There is no doubt in our family's mind that he is guilty. We're not confused like his family is." Masewicz said it was bad enough having to live through 1979, but then the wounds were reopened with the trial. Efforts to reach Dr. John Swanke,

Tribune photo by Joe F/yn11 ince 1973, Strachan has taught on the law faculty at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, a city dominated by the Monnon Church. Sh described the city as a theocra- P/e e see DEAN: A-6, Col. 4 - --------------------l>--------------~ • -----..,___ Kristine Strachan, new dean or USD's law school, will keep her femini t views out of her public role

The San Diego Ln:on

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David Allen Luca In photo during tr al y Lucas given death for 3 murders By Mitch Himaka Staff Writer David Allen Lucas, one-time altar boy who was convicted ID what pro- secutors called the county's "most brutal series of murders," was con- demned to die in the state's gas chamber yesterd y fo ree thrc,at- slashing deaths. A upenor Court Jury uf seven women and five men rendered its recommendation to Judge Laura P. Hammes in i venth day of delib- erations. The tall, blond, 34-year old former Casa de Oro carpet cleaner showed no emotion as court clerk Jim Schneider read the words: "We the jury . . . determine the penalty shall be death." Lucas' mother, Patricia Katzen- maier, wept softly as she heard the verdict. As she left the courtroom she said to her son: . ''I love you, David. I know you're mnoeent." She and her daughter, Catherine McEvoy, were quickly led out of the courtroom by defense-team person- nel and down the courthouse hallway to escape the television cameras. Lucas was convicted June 21 of first-degree murder ID the May 4 1979, death of Suzanne Camill~ Jacobs. 31, and her son Colin Michael ~acobs, 3; ~nd, t_he Nov. 20, 1984, slay- mg of Umvershty 1 of San ~iego stu- dent Anne Citt erme Swan e, 22. He was also found guilty of attempting to murder Jodie Santiago Robertson 35, of Seattle on June 9, 1984. ' 'The jury decided that since Lucas committed mu1tii)l" murders he was eligible for the Cleath penalty. Hammes corr.mended the jury for "making the most difficult decision any jury is called UJ¥>n to make" and j See Lucas on Page A-8 ? Santa Maria, CA :CJ~

San Diego, CA (San Diego Co.I Evening Tribune lCir. o. 123,064) AUG - 1 llfl ', P. C 8 ._JI iCfl

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speaking fees so far this year age treatment plant north of the bor• der. fr m

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ex1co believes San Diego could solve much of its sewage woes with what he calls "point of origin" water reclamation - treatment plants linked to major housing or commercial developments that use treated water for such things as irri- gating golf courses. An example is in the Jurupa Dis• trict near Riverside, where a treat- ment plant IS next to a housing devel• opment. All the effluent from the de- velopment is used to irngate an 18- hole golf course that initially used drinking ater for irrigation. The conference also will be at Na- tional Umvers1ty, starting at 8 am. • • • HINTS - Rep. Bill Lowery, R-San Diego, won language in the House foreign operations appropriations bill e'I uraging Mexico to partici- pate uilding a U.S.-Mexican sew-

The bill, which has passed the House, urges Mexico "to participate with the United States in the con- struction of a joint international treatment plant to alleviate the problem of renegade flows of raw sewage from Tijuana into San Diego." • • • MOVING - Sheldon Krantz, for- mer dean of the {lDiversitYJ)f San Die1to Law ~ool, is £Tie new v·::e presiaeiifof Investigative Group Inc., a Washington, D.C., company that does financial investigations for law finns and corporations. For the last year, Krantz has been writing a book titled "The Law Busi- ness: The Legal Profession in Transi- tion." It will be published by Oxford Press.

ES - Hunter will ho t conferences in San Diego next week on drugs and the latest technology for reclaiming water On Monday, th area's drugs prob- lems will be discussed m a session that be m t 9 am at ational Um· verslty. Official from the Dru Enforce- ment dmml tration, FBI, Customs rv1ce and Border Patrol are amoo the cheduled participants. The followmg day, Hunter will take up th reclamation issue. Hunt- er, an advocate of reclaiming the 8 rmllion to 10 mlllion gallons of sew- age that flows daily over the border

See Lucas

LJks: Triple-killer

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Palmdale, CA. (Los Angeles Co.) Antelope Valley Press (Cir. D. 45,820) AUG - 1 8

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"~at was going through my mind soc1ety,.we shoul.d kill anyone," Feld- (durmg the wait) was that they were man said. He said the case has been going to make a very careful deci- veI)'. difficult, not only for his client's sion and not a snap judgment. f~m1ly but also for the families of the "As I told the jury in my closing victims. . argument, Lucas' behavior clearly Landon said the whole case has called for the death penalty. If we been a "terrible tragedy, which, un- don't accept this, we should abolish fortunately, we perpetuate with this the death penalty." ~ype of decision. Everyone is victim- Landon and Feldman both ex- ized by this type of situation."

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P. c e ,au Searching for the root of contemporary evil Are people today worse than in the past? Some say yes ... and no Less obviou are the little r .,

"I'm just glad it's over," said Mi· chael Jacobs "I could see no other verdict. We've had to draw support from each other. There were many victims in this case. We'll live with this for a long, long time after we leave the courthouse." Jurors were led away out a back corridor of the courtroom to avoid the news media. Two jurors were en- countered in chance meetings on the street but walked away under escort by court bailiffs, refusing to say a word. Other jurors were seen getting into a marshal's van to be driven to their cars parked elsewhere. Hammes lifted her admonition to them against discussing the case with anyone, but cautioned them that if they chose to speak to anyone, they should be prepared to defend their statements in court if called upon at any future court hearing.

pressed disappointment over the jury's decision to execute Lucas. "I'm just one human being," Lan-· don saio "I was hoping the jury would spate his life. For me person- ally, it was very disappointing." Landon said the length of delibera- tions did cause him concern as time slipped by. "Obviously, the pressure built up," he said. "It was not a time when you can focus on anything." Landon declined to speculate how the jury change might have affected the outcome, if at all. However, like Feldman, Landon hinted that the de• cision to replace the male juror in midstream will be addressed in de- fense motions for a 11ew trial. Asked how Lucas was taking the vermct, Landon said his client was prepared for whatever the jury de- cided Feldman said the· death penalty is not necessary to punish anyone.

'''I'he only thin , ncce.-sary for th,• triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." f:dmund Burke BY ZENIACLEIGH <_; Copley News Service T o he

evils, the acts without conscience with which so many Americans seem to be filling their lives. University presidents embez- zle funds or lie about their cre- dentials. Record numbers of high school students cheat on tests, while their parents do the same on income tax:es, job resumes or expense accounts. Pentagon whistle-blowers are penalized. Athletes win with steriods A baby-food company sells water and sugar instead of apple juice. When it comes to treading the stony path of righteou ness, the morally slippery route seems to be the way to go. Can it be that evil is on the rise in 20th century America? Yes. And no. The root of evil People who have thought about the subject say that evil, at its roots, stem from the unwill- ingness - or inability - to make a moral choice for the good of others at the expense of one's own lower instincts. "Ultimately, the well-formed human conscience is the final ar- biter of good nd e 'l," said Fa- ther Ronald Pachence, director of the Institute for Christi.an Minis- tries at the University of San Di- ego. In this regard, be believes, people are no worse than they've ever been. But, say the same experts, we live in a culture that increasing- ly does not support moral choice. In fact, in many ways, it does the opposite. "What is different is

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(Santa Barbara Co.) Santa Maria Times (Cir. D. 18,683)

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Coronado, CA (San Diego Co .) Journal (Cir. W. 5,237) 6 0 .Jl{l~,. ', P. C. 8

versity, lists a string of forces eroding individual standards to- day: "We have a country where the family structure is fragmenting and the values we express rend See EVI on B6

the means at our disposal to un- leash the power of evil. We have many more means now," said Pachence. Lawrence Baron, director of the Lipinsky lnstiture for Judaic Studies at San Diego Stare_ Uni-

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Law studeJlt ~,--

Janice Randall Davis

,,,er iaw e " Keces has qualified for membership in Law Review after completing his first year of law school at the University o_L San Diego. · Membc ship in San Diego Law Review is limited to students ran- ked in the top 10 percent of their class. It enables them to contribute to legal scholarships, as well as de- v=:loping their own research and I writing abilities.

ALONG. BUSINESS ROW Janie~ Randall Davis is 'the new marketing manager at

Los Alamitos, CA lOrange Co.l Seal Beach News Enterprise (Cir. W. 30,038) AU& 1 O \

San Diego, CA. (San Diego Co.) San Diego Union (Cir. D. 217,089) (Cir. S. 341,840) AUS 111989

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