THE INDEPENDENT DAILY NEWSPAPER FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COMMUNITY SINCE 1868 The Daily Iowan TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2007 WWW.DAILYIOWAN.COM 50¢ Babcock convicted of 2nd-degree murder After a five-day trial and just over five hours of deliberation, the jury returns a guilty verdict, giving one family relief and leaving another in sorrow. READ THE FULL TEXT BY KELSEY BELTRAMEA first-degree murder accusation afternoon in July 2003 along a said, ‘Yes, I did.’ ” OF THE STATEMENT THE DAILY IOWAN — after just over five hours of rural Solon road, when his Tom Babcock said his brother FROM TIMOTHY deliberation in the five-day trial. younger brother told him that he told him: “ ‘I beat him, and I beat BECKER’S FAMILY AT A jury convicted Larry Bab- “I knew what this case was and committed the murder. him bad.’ ” DAILYIOWAN.COM. cock on Monday of second-degree what the evidence in this case After Larry Babcock patted Immediately following the ver- murder in the death of Timothy was,” Johnson County prosecutor him down, searching him for a dict, Tom Babcock and his wife, TUNE INTO DITV — Becker in his southeastern Iowa Janet Lyness said, referring to recording device, Tom Babcock Monica, embraced Lyness and CABLE CHANNEL City mobile home nearly six the pivotal testimony of Babcock’s said he asked if it was about Becker’s sister, Mary Jo Kinney 17, CAMPUS 4, OR years ago. older brother,Tom Babcock. Becker. of Coralville, before leaving the DAILYIOWAN.COM The nine-woman, three-man Tom Babcock, the prosecu- “I said, ‘You killed him didn’t Johnson County Courthouse. Babcock Becker — TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE jury returned the conviction — tion’s last witness, tearfully took you?’ ” Tom Babcock testified. convicted victim CONVICTION OF BABCOCK. on a lesser charge than his initial the stand to testify about an “And [Larry] shook his head and SEE BABCOCK, PAGE 4A Ex-law CROSSING MEDICINE, RELIGION prof may lose license Iowa Supreme Court to decide fate of a former UI law professor in a case of doctored student evaluations. BY MASON KERNS THE DAILY IOWAN Professor Kenneth Kress says he doesn’t remember much about the mental-health law lecture he delivered on the night of April 19, 2004 — one of the last classes he would teach at the UI College of Law. Because he was delirious, without his prescribed anti-psy- chotic medication, and experi- encing high blood-sugar levels that evening, Kress, a diabetic who also battles bipolar disor- der, said he cannot recall doctor- ing students’ evaluations of his teaching to award himself higher scores. Ben Roberts/The Daily Iowan Yet, because he said he Dr. Jim Martins (right) chats with Jackie Finn (right), his wife, Sylvia, and Rev. Jason Chen (obscured) after attending services at the First Presbyterian Church remembers experiencing “irra- on Sunday morning. tional delusions” that law- school administrators are the “agents of evil” and that stu- dents’ evaluations will “deter- A doctor’s moral beliefs mine whether the forces of good or evil win out,” he told The could affect patient care, and some Daily Iowan that he doesn’t con- test that he replaced or altered physicians go so far as to withhold five of the 10 evaluations. Those actions moved Kress’ some medical treatments. overall, 5.0-scaled evaluation score — used by the school to set BY TERRY McCOY next hour,’ and then I’m salary levels and allot academic THE DAILY IOWAN done.” positions — from a below-aver- Martins sometimes age 2.86 to a conspicuously high Whenever he needs it, he indulges in such prayers 4.86. bows his head and clasps his throughout his day spent in hands together. There he UIHC analyzing hearts and SEE PROFESSOR , PAGE 4A prays, silent at his desk in a examining patients. cramped, over-heated office And he is just one of a sig- on the third floor of the UI nificant minority of Ameri- PROFESSOR’S FATE Hospitals and Clinics. can doctors who are now Some UI-affiliated persons After a few moments, he bringing their faith into the who testified before the retreats from his solace and work place. disciplinary commission: glances up. Prayer time is And some are even allow- • Eric Andersen, law professor over. He is no longer a soul ing their ideology to affect — said Kress felt ill-appreciated reaching out to a deity, but how they administer by administration Jim Martins, a doctor of medicine. • David Baldus, law professor medicine. Fourteen percent of all — said, as a character witness, “I call them bullet physicians become morally that Kress was generally an prayers,” said Martins, a UI conflicted and don’t feel obli- honest person professor of cardiology. “It’s gated to tell patients of all • Jody Harris, a student in Kress’ class — said she was fast. It’s to the point. When- legal — but possibly morally ever I need them, I say, ‘God upset that Kress and law school help me get through this SEE RELIGION, PAGE 4A “put students in vulnerable position” AND THE NEW COACH CALL ME A CAB A MOVEABLE WRITER INDEX 59 15 C IS … … are words you probably won’t Jonathan Silin discovered that taking Arts 7A © Mostly cloudy, © 4B windy, steadily … the man behind Butler’s spectacular need to utter, now that Iowa City is the bus between New York and Long Classifieds Crossword 6B 28 -2 C falling temps, 50% getting some real-life taxi stands. 8A Island was a writing refuge. 7A chance of rain, or leap into the ranks of hoops powers, Opinions 6A snow late Todd Lickliter. 1B Sports 1B 2A - The Daily Iowan - Iowa City, Iowa - Tuesday, April 3, 2007 NEWS The Daily Iowan 3-year legal tangle finally settled Volume 138 Issue 172 BREAKING NEWS STAFF Phone: (319) 335-6063 Publisher: After several legal disputes, construction E-mail: [email protected] William Casey. 335-5788 Editor: Fax: 335-6184 companies and their insurance Meghan Sims. .335-6030 CORRECTIONS Managing Editor: providers finally reach a settlement in a Call: 335-6030 Jane Slusark. 335-5855 Policy: The Daily Iowan strives for Metro Editors: 2003 fire at the Blank Honors Center. accuracy and fairness in the reporting Erika Binegar. .335-6063 Seung Min Kim. .335-6063 of news. If a report is wrong or mis- Ray Mattson. 335-6063 BY ZHI XIONG company denied. leading, a request for a correction or a “It wasn’t a problem except for Opinions Editor: THE DAILY IOWAN clarification may be made. Laura Michaels. .335-5863 Acuity raising policy language PUBLISHING INFO Sports Editor: After a three-year legal dis- that Miron wasn’t covered under The Daily Iowan (USPS 143.360)is Charlie Kautz. 335-5848 pute, lawyers confirmed Monday the policy,” said Robert Rouwen- Arts Editors: published by Student Publications Inc., that lawsuits stemming from a horst, Miron’s attorney. “Even Jenna Sauers. 335-5851 2003 structure fire at the UI though it was listed.” E131 Adler Journalism Building, Iowa Louis Virtel. 335-5851 Blank Honors Center causing Miron subsequently sued City, Iowa 52242-2004, daily except Copy Chief: more than $1.2 million in dam- Cedar Valley Steel. Investiga- Saturdays, Sundays, legal and universi- Beau Elliot. .335-6030 ages have been settled. tions found that two Cedar Val- ty holidays, and university vacations. Design Editor: The settlement between Periodicals postage paid at the Iowa Brittany Volk. 335-6030 ley Steel workers, who caused Graphics Editor: City Post Office under the Act of Miron Construction Co. and the fire while welding, did not Nelle Dunlap. .335-6030 Acuity Mutual Insurance Co. have the necessary equipment Congress of March 2, 1879. Photo Editor: resolves a string of counter to extinguish it. SUBSCRIPTIONS Ben Roberts. .335-5852 actions from each company. Rather than paying Factory Call: Pete Recker at 335-5783 Web Editor: Though the UI’s insurer, Factory Mutual, Acuity responded by E-mail: [email protected] Tony Phan. .335-5829 Mutual Insurance Co., was suing St. Paul Travelers, Miron’s Business Manager: Subscription rates: Debra Plath. .335-5786 involved, the university itself insurance provider, claiming it Iowa City and Coralville: $20 for one Advertising Manager: remained relatively unaffected, was Miron’s responsibility to semester, $40 for two semesters, $10 officials said. Cathy Witt. .335-5794 settle with Factory Mutual. for summer session, $50 for full year. Classified Ads Manager: Attorneys would not disclose The lawsuits began with the Out of town: $40 for one semester, Cristine Perry. .335-5784 the terms of the settlement. UI and are technically consid- $80 for two semesters, $15 for summer Circulation Manager: Both sides were notified March ered a public matter, but session, $95 all year. Pete Recker. .335-5783 19 that the case had been because they directly relate to Day Production Manager: resolved out of court. Factory Mutual, a private com- Send address changes to: The Daily Heidi Owen. .335-5789 After initially paying for the pany,attorneys could not release Iowan, 100 Adler Journalism Building, Night Production Manager: damages, Factory Mutual sued specifics, said William Wickett of Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2004. Bob Foley. .335-5789 Miron — the Wisconsin-based Patterson Law Firm in Des general contractors hired by the Moines, who represented Miron UI — for negligence and other in its case against Acuity. allegations in 2005 and demand- “Factory Mutual stepped in ed a $1.25 million reimburse- the shoes of UI and asserted any ment. claims the UI had against other The fire, which spread from a companies,” Wickett said. tarp to the building’s west exte- This most recent settlement rior, was ignited during con- follows a similar case in Sep- struction.