New Jersey Nightly News; 12/12/1978

You know I say Same in. New Jersey nightly news. Was Rebecca suable in Trenton and Clayton Vaughn in Newark. Good evening. In the news tonight municipal workers in Newark are threatening a massive strike while Mayor Gibson says their actions border on anarchy. The state Supreme Court opens its doors briefly to the electronic media and the city of Boston town in the state of New Jersey seems destined for more appearances in court over that city's workfare program

Clayton. Good evening Rebecca. The Rutgers basketball team tries for a comeback tonight after two losses. Paul Budde line in his sports report. We'll have that story. And on a closer look we'll talk with a legal expert about the presence of television cameras in New Jersey courtrooms after today's experiment in the New Jersey Supreme Court. Newark Mayor Kenneth Gibson today talked of political parasites and an obvious reference to New York police and other city workers actions in the current Newark fiscal crisis. Border on anarchy Gibson statements came in a news conference call. He said to put the crisis in perspective. In it he blamed the city's problems on the president's anti inflation policies. Worker representatives responded with the threat of lawsuits and the talk of a massive city strike. Jack Kennedy reports the mayor's office was jammed with reporters and TV crews for Gibson's first statement on the fiscal crisis in the city and the mayor swung hard at President Carter's economic policies.

Well if I were in that position I certainly would not use my political power to endorse a policy of severe cuts severe cuts in spending for human resources and human care. As President Carter has chosen to do but it wasn't just the president who caught Gibson's wrath. He also blamed the state Kaps law which limits increases in municipal spending for handcuffing him and trying to use surpluses in the city budget to keep sanitation workers and police on the job 400 city workers face layoffs in January as well as 1000 school employees. But even with the layoffs. Gibson says the quality of life in this city will not change the fact that we have laid off city employees will not materially reduce the quality of life or materially reduce the services provided in the city. And I think that you have to understand that the number of teachers the number of sanitation workers

the number of firemen the number of policemen does not determine the quality of the service. Gibson also took a shot at what he called political parasites who were using the crisis for what the mayor called their own selfish ends. And he made a veiled reference to the recent vandalism on the 40 Newark police cars. Anyone who will use their positions or their job on the loss of their jobs to threaten the health safety and welfare of the public. And there are some people who have done that and I think that many of you have seen these acts of sabotage and acts of destruction of public property. But even before the mayor's attack union representatives from the police teachers and other municipal unions met to plan their own attack on his policies. They say Gibson is reduced local spending on education fire and police protection by using federal monies and now that the federal money is drying up. The mayor should cut spending in other departments including that of his own staff and the City Council.

There was talk here of an asteroid of ten thousand municipal workers in January but for the time being. The unions will take the mayor to court and try to stop the layoffs at this point later. Teacher union president Carol grave's said it was time to rearrange the priorities at city hall. Well I am interested always when they talk about frills and they only talk about them in the human service areas. The frills at the board the police department fire and health and welfare. Again the ministry administration office the mayor's office itself is 79 percent over what it was eight years ago. So Mel Gibson has kicked the ball back the state and federal government say he's done all he can do to keep Newark afloat. Union leaders disagree. They say the mayor's spending priorities are out of whack and they say if it takes a mass strike like the one in Memphis earlier this year to save jobs and services here and that's what we'll be. At city hall in Newark. I'm Jack Codder.

For the first time in New Jersey history television cameras were allowed in a courtroom today. The state Supreme Court hosted the experiment allowing new jersey public television plus still photographers and radio broadcasters to record one day in the life of the court. But as Mary Amoroso reports that day was more historic than it was dramatic. Ford has relied for this single for its long standing rule against television or still photography in the courtroom during judicial proceedings that you will see that the first televised court session ever in New Jersey or Again it wasn't Perry Mason. They are after all no witnesses no jury no tears or revelations in the Supreme Court. Just lawyers arguing points of law. Give me a chance to get one to four seconds and then just leave me with four seconds we can speculate.

What do you mean that was a fleeting murder by the same token this woman says her husband could have been seriously hurt. Based upon what was going on at the time of this fiasco the last time cameras were allowed in a new Jersey courtroom was 1936 during the high pitched Lindbergh kidnapping trial the rationale for the long standing to have been that cameras may create a circus atmosphere compromised the defendant's chance for a fair trial or simply distract the judge and lawyers. But with the growing emphasis on openness in government standards have changed. And television may seem now like less of an intrusion less of a threat. I. Gave all my attention directed all my energies to listening to what the court had to say what they had to ask me. Formulating an answer and then delivering that answer. I don't have time to be Robert Redford or this or John Barrymore or on Cheney or any of those. I was arguing a position before the justices of the Supreme Court in New Jersey and tell you the

truth. I forgot there were cameras there. The justices screened a tape of the session this afternoon. They'll decide how to proceed next with this experiment in television sometime in the future. But it seems clear that somewhere along the line you're going to see some real live trial court drama. In Trenton I'm Mary Amuro so. We'll have more on television in the courts later on in our closer look segment. Governor Burns $35000 a year expense account was the subject of a Supreme Court ruling sometime last week in a closed door conference. The court upheld a lower court decision that the money is the governor's private finances and he doesn't have to account for it publicly. The say County freeholders have been ordered to come up with plans within 90 days to replace the Passaic County Children shoulder. And while they're building that new one they've also been ordered to correct the major deficiencies in the present one which corrections officials have called the worst in the state. The orders issued by a superior court judge Charles Jolson

shelters problems first came to light last summer when many of the youths had to sleep on mattresses on the floor because there weren't enough beds to go around. Corrections official said a later inspection showed some of the youths with the shelter were having trouble sleeping because the roaches were crawling over them at night. The former head of New Jersey's largest anti-poverty agency drew a six year prison term and a seventy five hundred dollar fine today for extorting kickbacks she is Lucille per year who is the executive director of Newark's United Community Corporation. Federal Judge Herbert Sterne's said her crime was an awful one all round us because it involved taking money intended for the poor. She was charged with taking thousands of dollars in kickbacks from firms seeking anti-poverty contracts and using the money among other things to buy personal luxury cars Rebecca Resorts International today announced it's suspending one of its highest officials seem more alter director of special projects for resorts were cited by the State Division of Gaming Enforcement as one of the reasons for not granting resorts a permanent license. The

division says alter had admitted to trying to bribe a judge and also to arranging for female companions for visiting Bahamian officials. Resorts president Jack Davis says alter is being suspended pending the outcome of the state's hearings on the company's permanent license. Also today resorts admitted that it had no internal auditing department during its first seven weeks of operation. The casino lost $180000 from its slot machines during that time a. That's been the focus of several administrative charges against resorts and that a second day of hearing on those charges resorts today produced an official of the Nevada casino who testified that when his gambling hall first opened it too was unable to keep track of all its money. And now Louisiana is thinking about following the example of New Jersey and allowing casino gambling in that state a Louisiana Legislative Committee is spending a few days in Atlantic City talking to Casino Control commissioners Resorts International officials and members of the community. The committee spent time with minority groups and also interviewed a number of senior citizens who were being evicted from their

apartments to make way for new casinos. No word yet on the reaction of the Louisiana delegation. Twenty two New Jerseyans have been hit with federal fraud charges for allegedly collecting welfare checks while working for the federal government. Their names turned up on a computer was programmed to match federal workers with people getting welfare. The average amount of money involved about $4500 with a range from 2000 to $12000 sentences could be as high as five years in prison and fines of up to $10000. Borden town city officials today said they will not rejoin the state's welfare program even though they have agreed to follow most of the state's welfare regulations. But Bordentown is not a being all the rules so says the state. And so the state won't drop its lawsuit against the town board in town in the state have been battling for weeks over the town's so-called workfare program. That program required able bodied welfare recipients to work for their money jobs assigned by the city. State officials said that violated the rules. They took Gordon-Brown to court and won. The controversy came before the state assembly's

Legislative Committee. Mike Power reports. For the first time all the combatants in the Borden town workfare battle were in the same room at the State House to Bordon town city commissioners said they'll still fight for their program over the states. If this was a biblical story they were David Thomas Riddhi the state's tenacious welfare director said Bordentown broke the rules and forced him to sue. He was Goliath. But the big battle never erupted. Instead there was a lot of philosophizing that began when the talk turned to one of the welfare clients Bordentown put to work polishing furniture at city hall. I remember my father worked for the WPA. He was making small rocks out of big rocks and they were paving Raymon Boulevard on welfare. He didn't consider it to be degrading. My mother did and. I didn't. My brothers and sisters did. We had to do it. What's so degrading about polishing a chair.

McGuire was talking to really the state welfare boss. He said he doesn't worry as much about humiliation as he does about applying the same welfare rules to everyone. I don't think that it's a proper thing for people to be subject to different kinds of requirements simply on the basis of the action where they live. I think it's important that there be uniform rules uniform regulations for to be applied by every municipality and for every recipient of public assistance. Really said Bordentown never said any of its welfare recipients for job interviews with the state employment service as required by law board and town commissioners testified that they never received any welfare guidelines from the state and so it went. But the next round may be fought in the legislature where at least two law makers are writing bills to legalize local workfare programs. The committee's hearing produced some answers but a lot more questions. And the most common one was this who should write the welfare rules in a small town but local officials

who might know most of the people on welfare or the state regulators who pay most of the bills. For now the answer is still the state regulators. In Trenton. Mike power. Here's the weather forecast for New Jersey we'll have clear skies but cold temperatures tonight overnight lows will be in the mid to upper 20s tomorrow and cruising cloudiness in northern New Jersey with a chance of light rain or snow expected later in the day. But temperatures will be milder than we've had all week highs will be in the mid to upper 30s in the southern part of the state. Partly cloudy skies even mild temperatures are expected highs will be in the mid to upper 40s. The outlook for Thursday partly cloudy and colder. The great work of William Shakespeare comes to light. And the PBS movie theater

present or Laurence Olivier and Richard Burr. I can stop. And. I. Was. Quite content to do that which leaves my heart and with my cheeks with artificial tears and face my face toward the cage. Watch it Wednesday at 8:00 on New Jersey's public television something a little different. PAUL BUDDE line with a look at tennis Thanks Rebecca. Last night was just about perfect for tennis pro Dick Stockton stop and beat Tom Gorman in the final match of the horizon tournament in West Orange and then teamed up with Eric Van Dillen to win the doubles as well. It all added up to a $25000 pay day as Bill Perry reports. The singles championship match in the horizon Bancorp a tennis tournament was played last night. Fourth seeded Dick's top. Seeded Tom Gorman 6 2. 6 2. In the first set spunked and broke Gorman serve twice and he broke to win

in game 10 in the second set. It was all stocked and he went up three games to none and then leading 5. Wonder Woman Serbin stopped and won the set and match it. Love this is match point. I think the key was that I returned his serve so well throughout the match. Broke served twice in the first set and twice in the second set. And I think it's the best I've ever returned Tom servi. He has a very tough serve he keeps it very deep and gets the net very quick and it's hard to put a lot of pressure on his serve. But for some reason tonight I was getting a lot of balls back and keeping the ball at his feet. The ball was just coming off the middle of my racket real well. After a short break Stockton had to go out and play in the doubles championship. I asked if he'd be able to get out. Win or lose. Even if I had lost I'd try to get up as much as possible for doubles because it's it's important to me and I know it's important to my partner and a lot of

players tend to have let downs but I've always felt that doubles is just as important. Same goes for Dick Stockton it was a very profitable night he picked up the $20000 check first prize and he spent $10000 with his doubles partner Eric Randleman Maybe instead of having a microphone in my hand I should have a tennis racket. Thank you very much at the South Mountain arena in West Orange. I'm Bill Kerr. All right Bill good hands. And college basketball tonight both Princeton and Rutgers are on the road. Princeton head south to take on tough Villanova in Philadelphia while the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers head north to play Manhattan. Right now things aren't going too well for Rutgers. That team is two and two after losing to Lafayette and Villanova in the last two games. Two problems have been the lack of rebounding and the lack of control on the court as a remedy. Coach Tom Young has come up with a new starting lineup in the back court. Rodney Duncan will no longer start he'll be replaced by senior Tom Brown and at forward freshman John McDaniel is now a starter instead of Kelvin Troy. It adds up to more

height but less speed and will it work. Well Coach young gets a chance to find out tonight against Manhattan. But I'm sort of curious and anxious to see how this does especially Jonathan Daniels who's a freshman this is said and I'm curious and once again anxious to see what kind of club we can be with the size that we have in here. This would be the biggest cut we've had in quite a while and if we can play well together and get to rebound on the gangs then we're going to be a better club earlier than I thought. You know people have overreacted there's only been four games played saying Rutgers what's wrong with Rutgers is it too early to ask what's wrong with you. Well I think that there's nothing wrong with asking it but it's definitely wrong to think that we're not going have a good basketball team. Also tonight the Rutgers women are at home in New Brunswick to play Seton Hall. That game can be seen live on New Jersey public television beginning at 8:00 o'clock. The powerful Rutgers women's team is currently ranked 15th in the nation in a high school game this afternoon. It was our 13th ranked team Ewing against Princeton at Princeton after a

sloppy start doing in the dark jerseys pulled away gradually to win it by 18 72 to 54. Stan Hearn's at 22 points for using their second win in a row last week. They beat highly regarded Neptune in the final again in today's game 72 Princeton 54. You're now to 101 the year headed for a good year. Coach hemol Wanda Shin's team. And that's sports for Rebecca. Thanks Paul. Rutgers University officially unveiled plans today to water one of its most prominent alumni. SEN. Clifford Case the university is establishing a Clifford Case professorship of public affairs. Tonight a campaign begins to raise two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to support it. Casey will be leaving the Senate on January 3rd. After 34 years in Congress Clayton State Public Advocate today endorsed an assembly bill which would require a new school Basus to be equipped with high seatbacks and safety belts. At the same time the advocate came out in opposition to a Senate measure which would allow buses to be used for 15 years the current maximum life is 10.

Sponsor of the Senate bill says it's stupid to require a bus to be retired if it's still useful. But the Advocate says maintenance costs go up rapidly with the increased years and a cliffside fortune teller 40 year old Samantha Stevens also known as Mrs. Samantha has been indicted for fraud. She's supposedly collected nearly $14000 in return for what she claimed was driving the devil out of the bodies of her clients. Police say Mrs. Samantha used an elaborate ritual with candles paid for in one case with travellers cheques to perform her alleged exorcisms. At the end of the ritual Police said the devil was supposed to have been driven from the body and into a water jar or a tomato. You know why you. Came to be where you are. You must just be kind. And I beg you

to forget that you did. As I said. You can beg. And you may try. Elsewhere this. Other you don't get to. Watch it Sunday at a New Jersey public television. As we reported earlier the state Supreme Court today allowed television and still cameras into today's session as an experiment to help the court decide whether some type of photographic coverage of the courts should be allowed. Here in New Jersey four cases argued in today's session. All of them are routine. Really. Our earlier report used footage from one of the cases. Here's part of another. On whether Hudson County judge has the right to set pay scales and working hours for court employees without consulting the county freeholders council my appreciation arguing the first was listed which is what I was silent in the matter of the court's reorganization of Hudson County.

When I say this I have a right to say the law. Hey hey hey you shall do that and GONNA BE YOU. I know he had. You see he say it is not what people do. It is sexualizes to whether or not he had the right to fix it and get it right. The separation of powers. Mr Krieger don't you really have to come back a little bit before we can talk about the dollars the salary you would agree that rule 1:33 clearly sets forth that the judge is in charge of the orderly administration of Civil and Criminal Justice in cuts and Kelly in this case Judge O'Brien is that right no question about television will have a special program about today's proceedings tonight at 10:30.

With me now to talk about pictures in the courtroom of one kind or another is Sanford Jafri who is a legal expert with the Ford Foundation on a student somewhat of television in the courtroom. Mr. Jaffee What do you see as the basic issues that are involved here about whether or not we should allow cameras in the courts in New Jersey. Well I think it's a question of looking at the balance between the public's right to know public's right to have access to a major institution of government the judiciary and balancing that out against the possible harm that may come to the various parties the protection of the rights of the parties and in any case whether it be a criminal one or a civil one and obviously in a criminal case the issues are more firmly drawn but I think. How do you draw that balance is really the issue as I see it. I think it's fairly easy to understand the public's right to know and that everyone is interested or should be perhaps at least having access to the courts and the mass media would be one way to do that. But you're talking about this possible harm what possible harm could there be in taking

pictures of a proceeding that can go well. I think there are a number of arguments that have been raised against it. And let me just briefly go over. I think first is the question of whether or not the the the media becomes the message is washable Conan's old phrase. And does that Besley event itself. Alter the behavior of the participants. And I think that's one very fundamental issue. Another issue is the impact on witnesses the impact on jurors. Juries prefer at least we think that you prefer a certain anonymity. Witnesses prefer a certain amount of money particularly and may even be in a very sensitive matter of this type of an is very important. There are questions of what happens with cutting and splicing of it of a of a of a program for example. Let me ask you one question before you get into that example. How is any of those issues any

different. Than the print coverage of the trial. Well I think there's we don't have anonymity on the front page of a newspaper for instance. The coverage is liable to change a trial it has on. A number of occasions and and witnesses don't have anonymity. In fact in court. Well I think there's just very fundamental difference between the impact of the television media and the impact of the print media. That's why we're we're here today and that's why this experiment before the New Jersey Supreme Court is is taking is taking place. But the potential is just unknown. We don't know that what's happened is is that. We have seen in other walks of life tremendous changes as a result of television. Let me give you two quick examples that come to mind my own judgment. I think the whole nature of electoral politics in this country has changed with the advent of television. I don't think you can get any argument on that I think. I think another example is

is post protests and protest movements. There are many legitimate protests in this country. I would also say that there were probably protests that are just media events follow from that whole set of conclusions. I can vouch for that on personal experience. So that we don't know the impact of television on a particular set of events. If you had to guess how would you guess that the New Jersey Supreme Court is going to rule on this particular issue. I think that what the chief justice and his colleagues have done is it ought to be applauded. I think it's an important experiment. And I think that's the key word experiment. But how are they going to rule. I think they're going to allow it. But I think they're going allow it under controlled circumstances. And I hope they would allow for a specific period of time. I would hope they would set up some guidelines. And I think really I would hope that they would have a first class evaluation because what we don't have is really good hard data on what the impact of television is or or conceivably can be on the participants in the trial and the search for justice. Mr. Jeffrey thank you for being with us today.

Once again our top stories. Newark mayor kind of gives and says actions by police and other city workers there are bordering on anarchy and the work is answered with the threat of a massive municipal strike and the state Supreme Court today allowed cameras and microphones in for an experiment in opening the courts to the electronic media. And that's the news. Tonight. We're back. Good night for the New Jersey nightly news. New Jersey Nightly News is a joint presentation of New Jersey Public Television w any 13. Portions pre-recorded. And