And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:


Many Horses Case: Committee Wants New Prosecutor
http://www.yankton.net/stories/092499/new_0924990017.html
                     ABERDEEN (AP) -- American Indian activists and others upset with 
an investigation into the death of Robert ''Boo'' Many Horses say they want a new 
prosecutor in the case.

''We don't trust the state's attorney, Dan Todd, and we feel he is going to let the 
four defendants get away with their crimes,'' said Mark White Bull, a member of the 
Justice for Boo Committee.

Todd, the Walworth County state's attorney, said he was prosecuting the case as 
vigorously as possible.

''Right now we're awaiting a decision from the magistrate judge on the preliminary 
hearing,'' he said. ''Until the judge makes his decision there is nothing else we can 
do.''

The hearing was held early last month to determine if there's enough evidence for the 
case to proceed. Judge Tony Portra also gave lawyers extra time to submit written 
arguments.

Many Horses was found dead June 30 in a garbage can in a Mobridge alley. Autopsy 
results showed he died of alcohol poisoning.

Four white teen-agers charged in connection with the death are under house arrest.

Layne Gisi, 19, is charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter, aggravated 
assault, and abuse or neglect of a disabled adult.

Ryan Goehring, 16; Joy Lynn Hahne, 18; and Jody Larson, 19; all are charged with 
aiding and abetting and with being an accessory to a crime and not reporting it.

Each could get up to life in prison if convicted of first-degree manslaughter or 
accessory to first-degree manslaughter.

The Justice for Boo Committee included its request for a new prosecutor in a list of 
allegations presented Tuesday to Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zuercher.

Among the charges:

-- Many Horses' death was a hate crime, based upon past incidents involving the 
defendants.

-- Numerous other people should have been interviewed to show a pattern of behavior by 
the defendants.

-- The investigation was improperly conducted, and at times hindered, by investigators.

Todd denies all the allegations.

Other disagreements also have surfaced. White Bull said Zuercher and U.S. Department 
of Justice officials had promised to step in if charges against the four white 
defendants were dropped or further reduced.

Zuercher said he never promised any federal prosecution.

''I did meet with them, along with the DOJ, and I will be passing along their 
allegations to the U.S. attorney and to the civil rights division of the DOJ, but no 
promises were made,'' he said.

Zuercher said the meeting was arranged by the Department of Justice's community 
relations division, which goes into areas of racial tension and tries to lessen the 
problems through communication.

Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html doctrine 
of international copyright law.
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           Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
                      Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
                   http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/       
            UPDATES: CAMP JUSTICE             
http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
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