SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2003 Volume 2, Issue 171 FREE Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues L O T T O Accused killer hires private defense attorney FANTASY 5 Convicted felon allegedly has become the focus point in this investiga- 9, 17, 24, 36, 37 tion. He is adamant he didn’t do it.” DAILY 3 murdered Santa Monica woman Paleologus, 40, has an extensive criminal Afternoon picks: 4, 8,5 rap sheet including luring and victimizing BY CAROLYN SACKARIASON Evening picks: 2, 3, 4 young, attractive women by allegedly claiming Daily Press Staff Writer to be a photographer in the entertainment DAILY DERBY industry. His criminal history dates back more 1st Place: 02, Lucky Star A convicted felon accused of killing a Santa than a decade and is described by Santa Monica woman has retained a high profile 2nd Place: 08, Gorgeous George Monica Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr. as a criminal defense attorney. 3rd Place: 01, Gold Rush smooth-talking predator. Victor Paleologus is charged with killing Victor Paleologus Kristine Johnson Race Time: 1:49.62 He has two prior convictions of assault with Kristine Johnson, 21, which could bring the when Paleologus was scheduled to be arraigned. intent to commit rape, Flier said. death penalty. The hearing was continued until June 11. NEWS OF Paleologus received three years probation THE WEIRD Paleologus hired Andrew Flier, an Encino- “Somebody on his behalf has retained us,” after a jury deadlocked on charges against him by Chuck Shepard based attorney. Flier took over the case from pub- Flier said, declining to name the person. In February in Chichester, N.H., lic defender Jennifer Friedman last Thursday, “(Paleologus) feels that based on his past, he See KILLER, page 4 Thomas A. Barrett was fined $240 and given a six-month Parcel tax campaign heats up as election nears suspended sentence for his no-contest plea to creating a Special election to fund More than 200 people are pushing for the measure. their campaign relatively quiet at false fire alarm. Barrett told the expected to meet at Santa Monica The proposed parcel tax, called first and focused their efforts on schools is Tuesday High School this morning before Measure S on the June 3 ballot, specific groups that were likely to judge that he was celebrating canvassing Santa Monica neigh- would levy a flat $225 fee on the back the tax, Mechur said. his 21st birthday at Jillian’s Bar BY JOHN WOOD borhoods to help turn out voters in more than 32,000 properties in To find supporters, campaign & Grill, and as he staggered Daily Press Staff Writer support of the measure. Santa Monica and Malibu. If it managers purchased voting reg- down a hallway to the men’s istries from L.A. County that out- With four days before voters And phone bank volunteers, garners two-thirds of the vote, the lined party affiliation and voting room, he mistakenly urinated decide whether to pass a parcel tax who have already placed more than tax is expected to raise about $6.5 history of area residents. on the floor and pulled the fire to benefit local schools, what 30,000 calls to residents, will work million annually for the cash- Because the parcel tax will be alarm, which he thought was a began as a quiet campaign is gain- up to the last minute, said Ralph strapped school district. toilet’s flushing mechanism. ing momentum. Mechur, co-chair of the committee Supporters of the measure kept See TAX, page 4 QUOTE OF THE DAY Bush, Europeans to King-sized “Divorce is a game played by lawyers.” – Cary Grant patch up ‘bad blood’ BY CALVIN WOODWARD the rubber band.” INDEX Associated Press Writer At times, the rubber seemed ready to snap, with France and Horoscopes WASHINGTON — They’ve Germany, with Russia on occa- Sleep in, Cancer! . .2 been through months of spit-in- sion, and others, too. your-eye rhetoric, snubs and warn- In Evian, France, Bush’s part- Local ings of “consequences.” President ners will include French President Bush and European leaders have a Sunset Park meeting set . .3 Jacques Chirac, host of the sum- lot of patching up to do after mit and source of seething anger Opinion straining relations almost to the in the Bush administration breaking point over the Iraq war. because he thwarted U.S. attempts Enlivening auto racing . .6 As Bush flew to Europe on to win U.N. Security Council Friday for the Group of Eight backing of the Iraq invasion. National summit and weekend meetings in Also at the table: German Concorde retires . .9 advance of it, the talk was of part- Chancellor Chancellor Gerhard nership, cooperation and a new Schroeder, who ran a re-election International tomorrow. campaign that played up his oppo- But even in that rosy chatter it Progress in Middle East . .10 sition to U.S. policy on Iraq, who was clear that slights have not warned an attack would set the Sports been forgotten. Middle East aflame and mean cer- “Where we are is, let’s talk tain death for thousands of inno- Serena wins, apologizes .11 about the future,” Secretary of cents, who declared flatly about State Colin Powell said on his way the invasion, “The wrong decision Classifieds over. “That’s not to say that we has been taken.” $3.50 a day . .13 don’t have bad blood with some of After greeting leaders in St. our closest partners, but you move Petersburg as host for that city’s Back Page on. What pulls us together is much Alex Cantarero/Daily Press stronger than whatever stretches “Midget Elvis” performs on the Promenade on Friday. State ponders diet . .16 See SUMMIT, page 9 Open 24 Hours GOT CHILD SUPPORT 7 Days a Week PROBLEMS? 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