N
One hundred nine years feditorlfreedom
NEWS: 76-DAILY
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wwwmichigandally. corn
Monday
January 31, 2000
Ellerbe
intervenes
in alleged
heft
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan men's basketball coach
Brian Ellerbe was involved in a Univer-
sity student's decision not to press crimi-
nal charges against up to three Michigan
basketball players, the female student
said, who had various items stolen from
room.
But she said yesterday that Ellerbe
did not directly ask her to drop the
charges.
The student, who requested that her
name not be printed, said that three
items - a Palm Pilot, calculator and
watch valued at more than S100 -
were stolen from her apartment on
Nov. 11.
The student said she returned to her
apartment after a night out with a group
friends including three men's basket-
ball players -junior forward Brandon
Smith, freshman forward Leland
Anderson and freshman guard Kevin
Gaines. After Smith went into her room
alone, then left the apartment, the stu-
dent discovered her Palm Pilot, a hand-
held personal computer, was missing.
"She suspected Brandon Smith,"
Ann Arbor Police Department Sgt.
chael Logghe said. "Smith was the
ly one that she implicated."
According to the police report, the
student asked an acquaintance of
Smith's to return the pilot. The next
day, she found the device outside her
apartment door.
After winer break, the student said
she saw Ellerbe while visiting an ath-
letic advisor at Weidenbach Hall. She
said she initiated a discussion with
Ellerbe about the situation.
*'1 vwas in Weidenbach Hall and he
just happened to walk by," the student
said. "I told him I didn't know what to
do. I told him 'I have a problem with a
couple of your players,' and he helped
me. .
Logghe said that Ellerbe "interceded
on the players behalf and told her that
he would get the items back for her.
The items were returned to her, and
edecided not to pursue prosecu-
n,." he said. "It's not unusual that a
crime victim (drops the charges),
See ELLERBE, Page 7A
PRIME
TIME
ore
fnds
en
off atta ks
By Yael Kohen
Daily Staff Reporter
reform.
"This com
own fundr
SOMERSWORTH, N.H. - Ten- strongly criti
sions are heating up between the here like me.
Democratic presidential candidates as paign finance
Vice President Al Gore counterat- "Sen. Brad
tacked former New Jer-
sey senator Bill NEW HMPSHIRE
Bradley's remarks about
Gore's policies on abor- P
tion and campaign
finance reform at a rally
ning from a man whose
aising interests were
cized, but now he stands
He strongly favors cam-
reform," Gore said.
dley is looking for a dif-
ferent kind of fight,"
Gore said, adding that
the senator is looking
to divide the Democrat-
ic party by picking
apart two issues on
!,''
r r Ryesterday.
Last week, Gore defeated Bradley
in the Iowa caucuses and is currently
in the lead in New Hampshire caus-
ing Bradley to make a turn in his
campaign to attack Gore on cam-
paign finance reform and his pro-
choice position.
Gore counterattacked yesterday at
a rally at the Hilltop Equestrian Cen-
ter.
In his own defense Gore attacked
Bradley's stance on campaign finance
Students find ways
which they both agree.
"Sen. Bradley is making a false
attack," Gore said, adding that "he
knows that it is the republicans who
want to criminalize abortion."
"He cannot answer real questions
from real people about the very real
problems we need to be facing," Gore
said.
Gore said the real enemy is the
Republicans.
"We have manipulative attack after
See GORE, Page 7A
to lend
LOUS BRO,- 'D-
TOP: Vice
President Al
Gore speaks
as Sen. Ted
Kennedy (0-
Mass.) looks
on at the
Hilltop
Equestrian
Center In
Somersworth,
N.H., during a
campaign
rally.
ABOVE:
5-year-old
Casey Methot
watches Al
Gore speak at
a rally
yesterday In
Somersworth,
N.H.
hand in Campaign 2000
By Yael Kohen
Daily StaffReporter
SOME RSWORTH, N.H. - Gore supporters who
crowded into the Hilltop Equestrian Center ranged from
small children rallying with their parents to veterans and
union members, but the presence of college students could
not be ignored.
Forty students traveling together on a bus represented
several different environmental groups from different uni-
versities across the nation. They have been touring the
campaign trail to learn about the different candidates'
views on the environment.
All the candidates have spoken about the importance of
preserving the environment, said Washington State Uni-
versity student Doug Israel, a volunteer for Campus Green
Vote. But "none of the candidates have addressed the
issues specifically," he added. Issues that candidates fail to
discuss include global warming. Israel said.
Students also loudly voiced their support for Gore at his
rally yesterday. "He's a man of the people." said Hera
Mcleod, a George Washington University student, adding
that as a college student she finds her education to be high-
ly expensive and supports college tax relief
But not all students are concerned with tax relief for
higher education. GW student Jennifer Jaketic said she
supports Gore's health care position because "it'll help my
parents when they're that age, it'll help me when I am that
age and it'll help my children."
See STUDENTS, Page 7A
olfe convicted of possession
By Manna LoPatin
Daily Staff Reprter
Ann Arbor resident Renee Emry Wolfe, an advo-
cate for the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
was convicted of marijuana possession in Washing-
ton, D.C. on Friday but says she is pleased with the
verdict because it will continue to make her cause
known.
"It can go on appeal with more judges becoming
acquainted with this issue," she said. In this case,
"the judge came away a wiser woman and the prose-
jeutor came away a wiser man."
:Wolfe, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was
arrested in September 1998 when she went to the
office of U.S. Rep. William McCullom (R-Fla.) and
lit a marijuana cigarette.
Wolfe said she intended only to talk to McCullom
about legalizing marijuana for medicinal use but in
the stressful environment began to feel a muscle
spasm coming on and lit up the marijuana cigarette.
"Rather than writhe on the floor uncontrollably. I
did what I knew would change the inevitable," she
"The judge came away a wiser woman and the
prosecutor came away a wiser man. "
- Renee Emry Wolfe
Ann Arbor resident
said. "Been there, done that, don't want to do it
again."
District of Columbia Superior Court Judge
Stephanie Duncan-Peters ruled that there was not
enough medical evidence to prove Wolfe needed to
light the marijuana cigarette in McCollom's office
but gave her a sentence of 50 hours of community
service and a fine of S50.
"I would prefer that (Wolfe) return to her home
and deal with her medical condition in whatever
way she and her doctor deem appropriate," Duncan-
Peters said.
Wolfe said California neurologist Denis Petro
supports her use of marijuana to combat her muscle
spasms and testified during the trial.
Prosecutor Alex Bourelly said the defense pre-
sented a unique case but maintained that there was
no disputing the fact that Wolfe possessed marijua-
na in the representative's office.
Both Bourelly and the judge agreed that the
defense failed to prove, medical necessity because
legal alternative drugs were available and it was not
shown that Wolfe needed to smoke marijuana at the
congressman's office,
Duncan-Peters "drank in all of the information
that was put before her," Wolfe said. "She behaved
as a jurist should."
See WOLFE, Page 2A
JESSICA JOHNSON. Daiy
An Ann Arbor Fire Department firefighter attends to a small fire In a heating
register Friday night at Couzens Residernce Hall.
Couzens-stairwell
Todav r
arks the
yearly
passage of
The Michigan
Dailv into neiv hands. Our seniors
have left us the highest standards
to shoot for and the largest shoes
to fill.
We thank them and hope that we
can live up to their legacy.
I The 110th set of editors at this
paper will strive to provide the
best possible coverage of local,
state and national issues for our
readers for the next year eI have
made afew changes that we hope
will enhance your experience with
, ,, nrf c. ....: vvyl lnn.- -
AEPi nationals to determine
fat ofcampus chapter today
By Caitlin Nish
Daily Staff Reporter
After being officially suspended in
December when a fraternity pledge
was injured in an alleged hazing
incident, the Alpha Epsilon Pi frater-
nity's national chapter is expected to
release a statement today revealing
the status of their investigation into
rh- r rmmnc r hnnter
future status of each individual
member," Vice President for Exter-
nal Affairs for the lnterfraternity
Council Jerry Mangona said in a
written statement.
The national organization could
not be reached for comment.
The review commenced when a
fraternity pledge, a 19-year-old LSA
freshman, was shot in the groin at
cloce ranee with a R aun during an
He added that members head
already vacated the house when it
was vandalized shortly before winter
break.
Zachary Marwil, the LSA sopho-
more responsible for discharging the
gun, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one
count of illegal discharge of a
firearm without malicious intent. A
misdemeanor, Marwil faces a maxi-
mum sentence of one year in prison
By Jewel Gopwanl
and Nika Schulte
Daily News Editors
A small fire in a stairwell heat regis-
ter caused the evacuation of Couzens
Residence Hall on Friday night.
University Facilities and Opera-
tions spokeswoman Diane Brown said
at 6:32 p.m. the fire alarm responded
to smoke filling the hallways of the
fifth and sixth floors in the southeast
corner of the residence hall.
Ann Arbor Fire Department Battal-
ion Chief James Breslin said a piece of
wood in the register caught on fire.
Brown said the fire only damaged
the register, adding that no injuries
were reported.
several false fire alarms.while living at
the residence hall.
"This is the first time in two years
that it has been a real fire," Kramer
said.
Evacuating Couzens without a
coat. LSA freshman Monica Oster-
berger said she' was not sure if the
alarms indicated an actual fire. "I
didn't think it was real" Osterberger
said.
She added that even though she
was hesitant, she left the building.
"You never know what can happen,"
she said.
Although LSA freshman M ike
Udekwu said he was instructed by
his resident assistant to go to Alice
Lloyd Residence Hall to escape the
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