The Greenville News from Greenville, South Carolina • Page 1

p.J'J '7 I L. SPORTS Smoltz's wild pitch costs Braves against Pirates. Page, 1C TOEING THE LINE Women get the short end of the foot stick. Lifestyle, IB Miss America pageant viewers to make call on whether swimsuits will be on view. Story, 2A Weather Mostly sunny, low near 70.

High: 94 Details, 12A ttmmt III II I II Greenville, South Carolina THURSDAY, JULY 13, 1995 FINAL EDITION DgDifliC'fl MS DDI wmmi sew SSI vl School-prayer guidelines to be distributed to nation's schools Speaking on prayer Clinton has issued school-prayer guidelines, saying the Constitution already gives students freedom of religion. Republicans want a constitutional amendment. By Terence Hunt AP White House Correspondent WASHINGTON Trying to outmaneuv-er Republicans on a politically charged issue, President Clinton ordered school-prayer guidelines distributed to the nation's schools Wednesday. "Americans should never have to hide their faith," he declared. Clinton complained that some Americans have been denied their right to express reli gious beliefs, "and that has to stop," The president's remarks appeared intended to take the steam out of a Republican drive for a constitutional amendment on religious liberty and to court support among religious Americans.

Specifically, Clinton directed the Education Department to issue guidelines on religious activities to the nation's 15,000 school districts before classes resume after summer. Conservative groups accused Clinton of play ing politics with religion, trying to appease Southern Democrats alienated by their party. They pledged to continue pressing for an amendment affirming broad religious protections, including the right to offer public expressions of faith in schools. Liberals praised the president's address as clear evidence that there is no need to amend the Constitution. See PRAYER on page 9A The Associated Press Five jurors seated for Smith trial Alleged racism by ATF probed tm Pope says door closed to plea bargaining By Tim Smith And William Fox Staff Writers UNION Three more jurors were chosen Wednesday for the Susan Smith trial, and Prosecutor Tommy Pope said there is no chance of a plea bargain.

Among those chosen Wednesday was a Wednesday, retired in January 1994. The Washington Times, quoting anonymous law enforcement officers, reported Tuesday that the gathering included the sale of T-shirts with Martin Luther King face behind a tar-get, O.J. Simpson in a hangman's noose and white police officers with a black man sprawled across the hood of their car under the words, "Boyzonthe Hood." The ATF's Washington spokeswoman, Susan McCar-ron, said investigators have confirmed at least "undertones" of racism at the May roundup. U.S. Rep.

Bob Inglis of Greenville said he has asked for an investigation into the event. Woodham said as far as he knew, the Ocoee, gathering is "just a bunch of people See ATF on page Greenville office linked to party in question By Dan Hoover Staff Writer WASHINGTON The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms is investigating a gathering of law enforcement officers in Tennessee, allegedly with racist trappings, whom officials say used the phone number and address of the ATF's Greenville office on invitations to the event. Earl Woodham, spokesman for the ATF's Charlotte office, said Gene Rightmyer, who was in the Greenville bureau office on a one-year assignment, was involved in sending invitations to the "Good '01 Boys Roundup." He said Rightmyer, who could not be located for comment SUSAN SMITH man whose hall-brother went to prison for killing two people in Greenville County. Others selected were a man who said he once believed Smith should not die for the deaths of her two sons and a woman whose 12-year-old daughter was sexually abused. Five jurors have now been selected; twelve jurors and six alternates will be selected before testimony begins.

Four of the five jurors chosen so far are men. KEVIN WALKER Staff Courtroom scene: This illustration depicts one of the potential jurors being interviewed during proceedings Wednesday. Wednesday Prosecutor rules out possibility of a plea bargain to avoid death-penalty trial. Three jurors chosen, bringing total to five. Smith smiles and waves to family members while leaving courthouse, mouthing the words "I love you." Judge tells jurors he expects trial to last at least three weeks.

Thursday Jury selection continues. Seven more jurors and six alternates will be chosen before testimony begins. Ito furious with bickering attorneys mi Pope said at the close of court proceedings Wednesday that he has ruled out any possibility of dropping his bid for a death At one point, she rocked gently in her seat as the judge questioned a trucker who described pulling to the sides of the road for an hour and breaking into tears after hearing on the radio that she had been charged with killing her sons. On the opposite side of the courtroom in the second row, her ex- husband, David, sat with his parents, occasionally glancing at the woman he has told prosecutors he believes should die. Smith, 23, is charged with drowning her two sons last October by rolling her car into a Union County lake with the boys strapped in their car seats.

By the close of the trial's third day Wednesday, 77 potential jurors remained the door to a possible plea bargain, Pope said "That's right." Outside the courthouse, Smith's lead attorney, David Bruck, said he had nothing left to offer in the way of a plea bargain. Smith already has agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a life sentence without the possibility of parole for 30 years. When court adjourned for the night, Smith turned to her departing family and smiled; she waved and mouthed the words "I love you." Smith conferred frequently with her lawyers and jury consultant during jury selection Wednesday. She watched intently as potential jurors were questioned by the judge and lawyers, often resting her chin on her right hand. Despite an attempt by the judge to keep names secret, prosecution and defense attorneys are divulging names of potential witnesses.

8A South Carolina's Supreme Court on Wednesday stood by its order that a newspaper reporter go to jail unless she reveals a source for a story on Smith. 8A By Linda Deutsch AP Special Correspondent LOS ANGELES A car similar to OJ. Simpson's Bronco sped away from the murder scene, a defense witness acknowledged Wednesday, but he fiercely denied recognizing one of two angry voices he heard that night as Simpson's. "Didn't you (say) 'I know it was O.J. It had to be Deputy District Attorney Christopher Darden asked dur ing cross-examination.

"I never said that. Absurd!" exclaimed Robert Heidstra, who lives around the corner from the condominium where Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were slain and was walking his dogs the night of the murders. Heidstra's testimony came during a court session marked by an outburst by Judge Lance Ito, who stormed off the bench and See SIMPSON on page 9A sentence as part of a plea agreement. While some South Carolina prosecutors in capital murder cases have cut a deal for a life sentence after jury selection, Pope said, "I don't foresee that happening." Asked whether that means he has shut See SMITH on page 8A Death penalty would be new to Union 10 A INSIDE Abby 2B Bigar's stars 7B Bridge 7B Business 60 Classifieds 9B Comics 6B Crossword 7B Cryptoquote 7B Donohue 5B Editorial 10A Health 2 High Tech 10D Lifestyle IB EdMcGranahan 1C Metro ID Obituaries 4D Sports 1C Television 4B Theaters 8B Circulation hot line 298-4110 Classified Ads 298-4221 THE NEWS IS PRINTED USINfi RECYCLED PAPER frl Copyright 1995 Greenville News-Piedmont Company A Multimedia Newspaper 120th year Issue No. 183 4 sections, 48 pages So far, only one juror has wavered after hearing that scenario.

She was later disqualified on another issue. Ten of the 17 jurors excused so far by Circuit Judge William Howard were excused because of the feeling they could never vote for the death penalty under any circumstances. By Wednesday afternoon, five jurors had been seated to hear the case. "It is too early to say if it's chance that we've gotten a run of those early on, or whether it is a higher than usual number," Bruck said earlier. "But I didn't expect quite this many." Prosecutor Tommy Pope, however, said he isn't surprised.

But he believes the apparent trend towards favoring life in prison is a result of the random selection of potential jurors and not a reflection of popular opinion here. "It does seem like more than usual," said John See UNION on page 8A TV shows under fire Not satisfied with a Senate plan that would let people block violent shows on television, Democrats and parent groups want Congress to limit the times when those shows may be broadcast. Story, Page 2A. NAACP checks its wallet Spending by leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has raised questions after an audit examined where money was going. Story, Pfge 5A.

The county has never ruled in favor of execution By April E. Moorefield And William Fox Staff Writers UNION Susan Smith's lawyers are maneuvering to seek jurors who hold a moral opposition to the death penalty in an effort to keep their client from being the first person executed from Union County. Defense Attorney David Bruck has consistently posed a hypothetical scenario, asking potential jurors who say they oppose the death penalty if they could sentence to die someone who masterminded the bombing of a building full of children from a prison telephone. He might strike again without the death penalty, Bruck says. If he can get one of those jurors to waiver slightly, there is a chance that they could be qualified.

He then could force Pope to use one of his limited chances to reject that juror. RUTH FREMSON The Associated Press Arriving for Day 3: A handcuffed Susan Smith is taken to the Union County Courthouse Wednesday. 1.