Harrison trial begins in Wichita
By RICK PENDERGRASS Kansan Staff Writer
WICHITA - The trial of Leonard Harrison, Lawrence Ballard Community Center director, and eight other men is in its third day in Wichita.
Keith Sanborn, Sedgwick County Attorney, gave his opening statement to the court at 10 a.m. today.
The nine men are charged with three counts of extortion and one count of first degree robbery in Sedgwick County District Court.
The trial began Monday with the selection of jurors.
Chester Lewis, attorney for the men explained yesterday the procedure of jury selection, "Each defendant is entitled by law to have a choice of six jurors from the people interviewed. The prosecution, in turn, is entitled to the same number for each defendant.
"By this method, in a case where there is only one defendant, the jury will result in twelve persons.
"However, in this case there are nine defendants, which
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1969 KANSAN 13
Sanborn explained the procedure of selecting twelve of the 54 prospective jurors, which took the first two days of the trial.
leaves the number to 54 for the defense and 54 for the prosecution."
"Each prospective juror is questioned by the prosecution and the defense in the presence of the court. After each person is questioned, the prosecution and defense have the right to either exercise or waive peremptory challenge. This would mean that the person in question has been found unsuitable for jury duty by either the prosecution or the defense," he said.
By yesterday afternoon, Lewis had exercised peremptory
challenge 18 times when Sanborn passed a note to Judge Robert Stephan stating that he would like a recess to consider the logic behind "wasting the court's time by going through all this mess."
Sanborn said he thought 12 suitable jurors had been selected and Lewis was unnecessarily dragging the process out.
After a short recess, Lewis told the court that he would waive any further peremptory challenges, and that he was ready for further court proceedings to get under way.
"I have conferred with my clients, and they and I feel satisfied with the twelve persons selected," Lewis said.
Harrison said he was glad the trial was finally getting under way. "Sitting in that courtroom
ISP issues new paper
Calling for KU to "fulfill its obligation to the disadvantaged minorities of eastern Kansas," the independent Student Party (ISP) last night issued the first of a series of specific statements on their platform.
The statement says ISP recognizes the hardcap "many Negroes, American Indians and Mexican Americans suffer when
competing in college with students of more privileged cultural and educational backgrounds."
ISP suggests several steps for improving this situation. One suggestion is a free summer camp, staffed by minority group representatives plus volunteer workers and teachers, who would provide "tutorial work in verbal and other skills, prior to the entrance of the disadvantaged student into the heavily competitive atmosphere of the predominately white university."
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The statement says, "ISP recognizes the sincere desire of the KU Greek System to aid its less fortunate brothers and sisters and therefore offers those Greek houses not fully occupied during the summer months the opportunity of housing and counseling the summer camp, under the direction of representatives of the interested minority groups."
Several of the nine expressed relief that the proceedings were to get under way today.
for two days listening to the same questions and over and can be awfully boring," he said.
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