News briefs
By Daily Bruin Staff
Oct. 12, 2004 9:00 p.m.
Military sued by republican homosexuals
WASHINGTON “”mdash; A Republican homosexual rights group, the Log
Cabin Republicans, filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to overturn the
Pentagon’s “˜”˜don’t ask, don’t
tell” policy for gays in the military.
The policy, put into place in 1993 during the Clinton
administration, allows gays and lesbians to serve as long as they
don’t disclose their sexual orientation nor engage in
homosexual acts.
Log Cabin sued in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles asking for
an injunction that would prevent the Pentagon from enforcing the
policy. The suit names the United States and Defense Secretary
Donald H. Rumsfeld as defendants.
Log Cabin members serving in the military asked the
group’s leaders over the last four months to take legal
action, said Marty Meekins, one of the group’s attorneys.
They did not come forward because of a specific incident but out of
“˜”˜fear of the military finding out their sexual
orientation if they are gay and lesbian,” said
Meekins, who is based in Los Angeles.
Synagogue arson sends man to prison
SAN DIEGO “”mdash; A 27-year-old man was sentenced Tuesday to 6
1/2 years in prison for setting fire to a synagogue.
Manuel Tiscareno Renteria used gasoline and an open flame on
Oct. 11, 2003, to set fire to sanctuary doors at Congregation Beth
Am. No one was injured in the fire, which did more than $128,000
damage.
Prosecutors could never establish the motive for the crime, said
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tenorio.
“Sausage king” threatened and killed
inspectors
OAKLAND “”mdash; Self-proclaimed “˜”˜sausage
king” Stuart Alexander warned at least seven people he
was going to shoot meat inspectors if they didn’t stop
harassing him, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Alexander, 43, faces three counts of murder and one count of
attempted murder in the June 2000 deaths of two federal inspectors
and one state inspector at his Santos Linguisa Factory in San
Leandro. A fourth inspector escaped unharmed and testified against
Alexander during his five-month trial.
In his closing argument, prosecutor Paul Hora outlined the many
times in the months leading up to the killings that Alexander
threatened to kill inspectors, showing “˜”˜premeditation
and deliberation.” He spoke against the backdrop of a
black-and-white freeze frame from the surveillance video in which
Alexander is seen shooting Jean Hillery, 56, Bill Shaline, 57, and
Tom Quadros, 52.
With reports from Bruin wire services.
