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4The Daily Tar Heel Thursday, April 21, 1988 Candidate says audit iodicates rival o ntfit for state office By ERIC GRIBBIN Staff Writer Rufus Edmisten is unfit to be secretary of state, judging from an audit of his 10 years as N.C. Attorney General, said secretary of state candidate Dan Bell on Tuesday. An August 1985 audit said the Justice Department under Edmisten had no system for evaluating man power utilization or for handling public complaints, said Greg Griggs, Bell's campaign manager. The audit also pointed out the department's lack of a policy and procedure manual for employees, the absence of long-range planning for the State Bureau of Investigation, and low morale among employees, he said. "Dan wants the voters to compare the management records of the candidates. He has signed a pledge to continue to manage the secretary's office in a fair, even-handed manner," Griggs said, adding that Edmisten has declined to sign the pledge. "This audit was a fair document issued by the State Auditor's office intended to evaluate Mr. Edmisten's performance. As the citizens continue to examine the candidates, they will see that he is by far the most qualified and experienced person in the race," Griggs said. "Mr. Bell is grasping for straws," said Glenn Wells, Edmisten's cam paign manager. "The primary is two weeks away, and Bell doesn't know how to run his campaign. No one has ever seen him before, and he comes out and wants to attack a fine, experienced candidate. It's unfortu nate that he did it." Wells said Edmisten thought the audit was uncalled for, but he chose not to publicly respond to it upon its initial release. "We're not going to respond to it this time, either, when it comes from such a Johnny-come-lately Demo crat. The people realize what Rufus has done for the state, and they feel that Bell is crying wolf. This certainly hasn't done anything to derail our candidate," Wells said. Ray Mozingo, the performance audit supervisor in charge of the Justice Department audit, said it was performed at the request of current Attorney General Lacy Thornburg when he took office in 1985. "We try to do an audit of each department at least once every three years," Mozingo said. "Mr. Thorn burg requested the audit to give him an understanding of how the depart ment was working. From what IVe seen, Mr. Bell was zeroing right in on what we found. His identification of the topics of our findings seems to be accurate." Mozingo said the 1985 audit was available to the public upon release. Brad Miller, another Democratic candidate for secretary of state, said Bell's attack will change the tone of the campaign for the worse. "I think that the tone of the campaign will hurt the party. I am trying to run my campaign on my own merits and avoid such attacks," Miller said. Insurance officials change rates policy By JIMMY BURNS Staff Writer N.C. drivers convicted of minor traffic violations like speeding can look forward to lower premium increases after July 1, when state insurance reforms go into effect. But insurance rates overall will increase slightly, insurance offi cials say. "The Legislature felt the people of North Carolina would want a slightly higher payment now rather than have a great increase in their bills for a minor violation," said Roger Langley, deputy com missioner of the Fire and Casualty Division of the N.C. Insurance Commissioner's office. Before July, drivers paying $200 a "year could have a $50 to $75 increase in their annual premium after a minor violation. The new law would raise that same pre mium $5.60 per year, but it would ensure lower increases after later violations, Langley said. The law also affects the N.C. Reinsurance Facility, an umbrella organization used by state insur ance companies to insure drivers who already have points on their policies or who are considered poor insurance risks. These drivers make up only 15 percent of N.C. drivers. The facility is now financed by the premium increases of those drivers, but the bill distributes the cost of the facility to all drivers in North Carolina, lowering the premiums of minor offenders. But insurance agents say the policy is controversial for their customers, but some of their policy holders are unaware of the change. "Most of our customers are just curious about the change. There is still a lot of controversy over it, but we have a very positive feeling towards this policy," said Lena Cherry, public affairs man ager at Collier, Cobb and Asso ciates of Chapel Hill. "We have not notified our customers, because there has been no official communication from Raleigh to the agents in the field," said Cecil Griffin, an agent with Farm Bureau Insurance of Hillsborough. "A lot of companies are taking a wait-and-see attitude," said agent John Gastineau of the Chapel Hill Insurance Agency. Court decision being hidden, officials say By CHRIS SONTCHI Staff Writer A ground-breaking N.C. Court of Appeals decision could slip into obscurity because the court is keeping the decision unpublished, said offi cials involved with the case Wednesday. Tuesday's decision ruled that a defendant could be temporarily barred from the courtroom during pre-trial hearings in special circumstances. The decision came in the case of an Alamance County man convicted of taking "indecent liberties" with his 4-year-old step-granddaughter, said Debra Gilchrist, the N.C. assistant attorney general who handled the appeal for the state. The girl was allowed to go through the pre-trial hearings while the defendant watched on closed-circuit television in the judge's chamber, she said. Octavis White, the Alamance County assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case and came up with the idea of using closed circuit television, was unhappy with the appellate court's decision not to publish the ruling. "I'm not pleased at all," he said. "If the decision remains unpublished, it weakens the precedent a great deal. I don't understand (the court's decision) at all usually when making new law, you publish the decision." The courts should publish not only this decision, but all decisions, said Daniel Pollitt, Kenan professor of law. "I'm against it (not publishing)," he said. "It's very unfair and a very bad practice. Some lawyers will have access to the decision, others won't." The N.C. Attorney General's office will file a motion within the next few days to try to persuade the court to publish the decision, White said. If it is published, it will be a strong precedent, he said. "It will be a reaffirmation that a young child would not be able to testify in court, but the out-of-court evidence would be available," he said. Removing the defendant from the court while a young child is testifying is becoming more common, Pollitt said. "This is not unusual. The problem is what to do with child molesters," Parties he said. Defendants and victims' rights can be preserved through such proce dures, Pollitt said. "It's usually okay to put the defendant in another room, but the defendant and jury must see the testimony," he said. White said he applauded the N.C. judiciary's efforts to differentiate between young children and adult witnesses, although he wished they would publish the decision. The decision was part of a legal evolution in dealing with child abuse, Pollitt said. "Five years ago we didn't have these cases," he said. Officials from the N.C. Court of Appeals refused comment, saying "the decision stands for itself." from page 1 American Heart Association play on Kappa Alpha private property. "They are asking us to get rid of a tradition that's 30 years old, at least," he said. Davis said he does not want the parties moved to another location. "This is our deal," he said. He said Kappa Alpha alumni contribute to the house because they enjoy coming back for the court parties. Davis said the only problems with the parties have been the noise, the run-off of people into the street and the trash, but that Kappa Alpha has worked actively to alleviate these problems. Most vandalism takes place late at night after the parties are over, Davis said. Earl Johnson, Zeta Psi alumni representative, said the parties have gotten out of hand. "There are only four or five games a year and we want to be able to enjoy our fraternity house without 3,000 people there that we don't know," he said. The fraternity will hire extra security if necessary, Johnson said. "We're going to do whatever we have to do to get our house back in order," Johnson said. Scott Hinkle, Kappa Sigma frater nity president, said Kappa Sigma members and alumni support Zeta Psi's position. The Kappa Alpha house does not receive as much vandalism as the other houses because the band blocks the front doors to the house, Hinkle said. "Vandalism starts as soon as people start filing into the court," he said. Frederic Schroeder, dean of stu dents, said Wednesday that he sup ports the decision to end the parties. "Given the large crowd of non affiliated persons and the property damage, litter and poor public relations which these events have brought in the past, this seems to be a very wise decision," Schroeder said. rTTV h 1 t ' .T?..-yt i - TO.- o -.v v . W A . A JOC- '....-.. f im . U-3 FF D3 MOMW Bhmim 153 c franklin st 967-5335 INTERNSHIPS! GTE South in Durham is offering summer internships in several different fields. If you are looking for paid experience at one of America's finest utility companies, GTE is what you are looking for. Interns are needed for the following positions: Video producer (RTVMP or Communica tions majors) contact: Charles Stites - 383-9562 Video technician (RTVMP or Communica tions majors) contact: Chuck Henage - 383-9562 Instructional designer (education or educational media majors) contact: Charles Sates - 383-956 Photographer (Darkroom and photography skills) contact: Jo Walton 471-5279 Desk-top publisher (Graphic Design majors) contact Jo Walton 471-5279 Librarian (Library Science Majors) contact: Len Magsamen 471-5586 Schroeder also said he supports the move because the liability risk is so high for the fraternities during the parties. Capt. Greg Jarvis of Chapel Hill police said the problem must be worked out by the three fraternities. "It is a private matter because it is private property," he said. Several students said Wednesday that they understand the problem but would like to see the parties continue. Rich von Biberstein, a junior from Burgaw, said: "I sympathize with the Zetes, but I think it would be a shame not to have the court parties, because they are a tradition." Monty Ross, a sophomore from Chapel Hill, agreed. "I think it would be a loss not to have the parties because they are a tradition," he said. "Everyone knows about the parties that go on after home football games." Dene Dawson, Phi Gamma Delta fraternity president, said he supports Zeta Psi's position. "Our house gets the spillover from the court parties and it puts wear and tear on our house, which we have just renovated, and our alumni cannot find us because of the crowd," he said. Mike Stainback, Zeta Psi fraternity member, said the fraternity needs to avoid a possible liability law suit. "It's time for the court parties to come to a close," he said. tccdevt&f Want to own a sports car after graduation? How about a job making $100,000 a year straight out of school? Zenith Data Systems can't guarantee you the car or the job. It can guarantee you an edge on the competition. This is your best opportunity to save over $400.00 on Zenith lap top computers. This sale is available through April to all students, faculty and staff for personal use. data systems For more information, contact Student Stores PYEWACKET RESTAURANT A Chapel Hill Favorite Cuunyud V FRANKLIN 929 0297 V 1301 East Franklin Chapel Hill 933-1323 Elegant Dining Casual Price Fresh Seafood, Chicken, Steaks Reservations accepted for Graduation. THE QUALITY GOES IN BEFORE THE NAME GOES ON
Daily Tar Heel (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
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April 21, 1988, edition 1
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