Golden Gate University School of Law GGU Law Digital Commons Caveat Other Law School Publications 2-17-1981 Caveat, February 17 1981 Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/caveat Part of the Legal Education Commons Recommended Citation "Caveat, February 17 1981" (1981). Caveat. Paper 171. http://digitalcommons.law.ggu.edu/caveat/171 This Newsletter or Magazine is brought to you for free and open access by the Other Law School Publications at GGU Law Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Caveat by an authorized administrator of GGU Law Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. r.-......:---'T~ .. bO· -< I _ i\U'i' ~ ~ I ~ '-'. '-'-' Q<v+ •• 'lit......" '.,. .... .t., o GI"~P,-\'.It-.~LfL1J'" ~l/--~'" ..' . ~ .-::~" . -S' liiiIIiiii·o 11(J.1f. '1~ .\~V '.. ~ 'J:J"J e Baveaf .1i1ll:Q):A,. ~.. "~Slr" I~ . _ .a,I-J & -{E,. £- ImVM:,J::_. Vol. XVI No. 20 FEBRUARY 17, 1981 Geronimo Pratt's Attys SBA MEETS AGAIN The SBA met again on February 4. Discuss Defense The Graduation Committee reported that On Thursday, February 19, at 12:00 letters have been sent out to potential noon in Room 322, Stu Hanlon, Marney Ryan speakers, and that all other operations and John Mitchell, attorneys for Geronimo are proceeding well. Pratt, will be at Golden Gate to discuss Tommy Norton reported that he spoke the background and current status of their with Wally Walker concerning possible defense work. The Golden Gate chapter of disincentives to professors turning their the National Lawyers Guild extends an grades in late. They are considering invitation to all students and faculty to several alternatives, and Norton said he attend. The following is a recent press will report back to the SBA as soon as release which briefly discusses the case: plans are more definite. Joi Rhone is no longer Vice-President "On January 30, 1980, attorneys for of the SBA because she was unable to ful­ 'Geronimo Pratt wil file.a Petition for fill the responsibilities of the job. Habeas Corpus relief before the California Supreme Court. This petition raises numer­ ous allegations about Federal and State Government misconduct in Pratt's murder GRADUATION trial in 1972, and asks the Supreme Court An information sheet is posted on the to grant Pratt a new trial. library bulletin board detailing graduation Pratt, a highly decorated Vietnam War arrangements already made by the graduation Veteral, UCLA student, and former head of committee. All graduating seniors are the Black Panther Party of Southern Calif­ urged to read this sheet, and contact com­ ornia in the late Sixties was convicted mitteemembers with their further sugges­ of the "Santa Monica Tennis Court" murder tions or comments. -- a robbery in which a white woman was To summarize: killed. Though the murder took place in 1. Graduation will be held Saturday, 1968, Pratt was not charged until two May 30, 1981 at 2:00 p.m. We estimate that years later, and did not go to trial until the ceremony will take two hours. 1972. 2. The ceremony will take place at Pratt has steadfastly maintained his Masonic Auditorium, 1111 California Street, innocence and claims that he was set up San Francisco. A reception will be held for the murder conviction through conspir­ on the plaza and second floor of the Uni­ acy of the Los Angeles Police Department versity following the ceremony. and the FBI via its famous counter-intelli­ 3. Both Melvin Belli and Eva Jefferson gence program, COINTELPRO. Pratt was Patterson have expressed interest in being specifically targeted for "neutralization" graduation speakers. We have given all po­ by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. tential speakers until February 17th to Pratt raises the following charges of indicate their interest, so no final deci­ government misconduct in his 1972 convic­ sion has been made as yet. tion: 4. Based on the survey of graduating 1. The main witness against him, Julio seniors, the committee has decided to in­ Butler, a former Los Angeles sheriff who clude the cost of cap and gown ($23), jOined the Black Panther Party and is now diploma ($10), Auditorium ($5), invitations a candidate for the State Bar, committed ($unknown), reception and speaker costs ($12) perjury in the trial when he testified that in the graduation fee. Scholarships will be he was not working for nor was he an inform­ available to those wro are unable to pay ant for the FBI and the L.A.P.D. Pratt's the entirety of the graduation fee. attorneys have filed documents that Butler 5. Faculty will be invited to sit on met on at least 33 occasions with the FBI the stage, and, also based on the survey, prior to his testimony in Pratt's trial. will be required to wear cap and gowno 2. The Los Angeles Police Department Acting Chair Tommy Gill announced supres~ed evidence that the only eyewitness that he will post the date and time of to the crime -- Mr. Kenneth Olsen, the hus­ this week's meeting. band of the murder victim -- positively Other members of the graduation com­ identified another man as the murderer a mittee are: Sy Bieler, Judy Bloomberg, year before he identified Pratt in a highly Mike Brinkman, Ann Hardgrove, Paula Hyman, suggestive photo identification line-up. Sheila Israel, Moss Jacobs, Charma Pipersky, Cont. p. 5. and Pat Warner. • ~ Letters to the Editor ~ To the Editor: The issue is that whether or not there is a real Annette Cooper, whoever submit­ Running true to form, last Thursd~y's ted his/her analysis to THE CAVEAT said Faculty-Student Council meeting never something every first year student has came off. By virtue of a number of manipu­ pondered or wanted to express. lations, the students were denied the op­ The fact that the Associate Dean went portunity to present two motions before to such extremes to identify Annette the body. The story goes on. Cooper makes me glad that the letter wasn't After the re-structuring of the FSC signed by a living law student. and the plaing of limitations on student Is there anonimity? Is anonimity a participation, new guidelines were estab­ GGU policy or a standard created by the lished by the FSC for the presentation ABA? Who does have access to those exam of motions from the floor. One of these numbers and how does this system operate? revisions was the requirement that motions Unfortunately, the Annette Cooper let­ be placed in writing 48 hours in advance ter only reinforces that law school can of the meeting and submitted to the Chair be a lonely battle. Thank goodness for of the FSC for distribution to the faculty. THE CAVEAT in acting as the voice for the This past Tuesday, the student represen­ many Annettes. One fights in isolation­ tatives submitted two motions dealing with accepts defeat in silence. En masse we revisions of the Academic Standards policy mobilize- share in the struggle, with and the implementation of a tutorial pro­ victory in our hearts. gram. After accepting the motions, the Chair of the FSC, Prof. Tom Goetzl, con­ Annette Fan sulted with Dean McKelveyo Together, they ,decided the motions were improper. They then scheduled an Evaluations Com­ (The following memo was seen posted on the mittee meeting to be attended by all of door of Room 223. It is evidence of the the faculty and cancelled the FSC meeting. fact that the Editor's policy of only The reasons behind the unilateral decision printing Letters with names attached is regarding the propriety of the motions being subverted by use of pseudonyms. remains unclear. This decision completely Annette Cooper, whoever you are, keep disregarded the procedures of the FSC as those cards and letters coming.) established by the faculty, and showed a complete lack of respect for the student Memorandum representatives who were given no notice of the fact that the FSC meeting had been To: The Tutors cancelled. From: Rick If a motion before the FSC is to be Re : Criticisms of Writing & Research considedered improper, that determination Date: February 10, 1981 is to be made by the FSC meeting as a body. The only preliminary de~ermination to be This morning's issue of the Caveat carried made by the Chair of the FSC with respect a letter by Annette Cooper criticizing the to motions from the floor is procedural, Writing & Research program, several of you that is, that the motions are filed in a (not hy name), and me. I have checked with timely fashion. The chair is to automatic­ the Admissions Office, the Registrar's ally place those items on the agenda, not Office, and our own records, and there is make any determination as to the substance no one in the first-year class, or in the of the motion. law school, with the name "Annette Cooper." The overstepping of authority by the Chair and the Dean in this case is inexcus­ /s/ Rick able. The motions were brought in good ------ faith, dealing with issues that are critical To the Editor, all members of the FSC, to th~ survival of this school. If this is the tenor to be set for future motions and and all law students: meetings of the FSC, maybe the next step for the faculty is to have a secret meeting The student motions reprinted on page where they decide to disenfranchise them­ were submitted to FSC Chairperson Tom selves from the FSC. Is this anyway to Goetzl before the deadline for the run a law school? February 12, 1981 FSC meeting.