USA: ALLEGED SODOMY INCIDENT AT POLICE STATION TRIAL PREVIEW

Описание: (15 Dec 1997) English/Nat

The lawyer for one of four New York police officers charged with brutally sodomizing a Haitian immigrant asked a judge today to separate his client's case from the others.

The case has become a rallying cry for protesters who say a number of people, especially those belonging to minorities, have been abused by police.

The high profile case will begin in mid-January and is expected to be protracted.

Justin Volpe, emerged with his attorney Marvyn M. Kornberg from pre-trial hearing before Justice Priscilla Hall in Brooklyn's Supreme Court.

Volpe, along with 3 other defendants is accused of sodomizing Abner Louima with a wooden stick in the toilets of the 70th Precinct station house.

The alleged assault took place after Louima was arrested during a disturbance outside a Brooklyn nightclub on August 9th.

The charges against Louima, who suffered a ruptured colon and bladder, were later dropped.

The charges against Volpe and another officer, Charles Schwarz, are assault and sexual abuse of Louima.

They also are accused, with officers Thomas Bruder, and Thomas Weise, of beating Louima with a police radio and aggravated racial harassment.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"I think that the bias is so rooted within the community, you know the leaks to the press, the protests, the marches. The presumption of guilt before there has been a trial I think is a little, makes it a little impossible for us to get a fair trial here, and you know we are looking to get outside this city, but to a racially diverse community.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Joseph Tacopina attorney for Thomas Weiss

Judge Priscilla, an African-American female, put off any decision until January. 16.

Volpe's attorney also asked for a change of venue, arguing that Volpe could not get a fair trial in New York because of the way the press has covered the story.

However, an earlier request by Kornberg to move the trial was turned down by an appeals court in Brooklyn.

Meanwhile outside the court house today, attorney Joseph Macopina found it difficult to address the press as angry hecklers shouted him down.

Last August hundreds of thousands took to the streets of New York to express their outrage at what they perceive to be a racist city police department.

However not all the attorneys are calling for a change in venue.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
\"Yes I think my client can get a fair trial. I am hopeful that people have kept an open mind, and as the facts start to come out more and more people understand what Chuck (Charles) Schwartz did and did not do. What he didn't do is commit a crime.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Stephen Worth - attorney for Charles Schwartz

The official trial is expected to start in mid - January with an anxious New York seeking answers to what really happened that night in a Brooklyn police station.

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