Florida Today from Cocoa, Florida • Page 4B

1 Florida "4B TODAY, Monday, January 11, 1S75 Bureaus in Jajlahassee p. And Vero Beach And Wires of (he Associated Press rstt.jr Florida Report i Bar to Probe 'Rash' Remarks By FITZ McADEN TODAY Tflmpo Tnbunt Ntwl Strvlc TALLAHASSEE A complaint that a Florida Bar attorney made rash statements to the press criticizing letters written by Hillsborough County judges will be considered next month at a meeting of bar officials Hillsborough County Judge John Hodges asked the bench and bar committee, a joint lawyer judge liaison committee, to look into a statement attributed to bar at torney Richard McFarlain McFarlain had criticized six Hillsborough judges, Hodges among them, for writ ing letters to the Supreme Court on behalf of Frank Ragano, a Tampa attorney convicted last year on five counts of violating income tax laws The bar had asked that the court suspend Ragano from practicing law, but the court refused, saying that let ters from the judges influenced it Hodges said McFarlain's remaras, quoted in the press, were "adventurous and rash The lawyers on the bench and bar committee will meet Feb 1 to take up Hodge's complain.1, according to Pensaccla attorney Richard Warfiled Warfiled is chairman of the trial lawyers' section of the bar, from which members of the bench and bar committee are drawn Panel Decides The committee will decide "what, if any thing, should be done," Warfield said "J'm not sure we can do anything," he said He said the board of governors of the bar has delegated "very little authority" to the bench and bar committee, which is not even a standing committee of the bar He said the judges serving on the judi cial half of the bench and bar committee would not be at the February meeting at which Hodges' complaint is taken up. Asked how the committee could take definitive action on the complaint without having the judges there, Warfield said, "You've put your finger right on the problem Still, he said, "We'll decide one way or the other to clear the decks Whatever action is taken by the bench and bar committee will be eithCr ratfffecj or rejected by the officers of the trial lawyers section, the parent committee. podges said in a telephone interview his request that the committee look into McFarlain's statements was not an effort to cause a confrontation with the bar attorney Rather, he said, he was trying to prevent a recurrence of what he termed "events which can have nothing but a detrimental effect upon our entire legal system It's Unreasonable 'Things have been blown all out of reasonable proportion," said "This was not intended to bring about a schism, fight or donnybrook Hodges, himself a member of the judges' half of the bench and bar committee, said he would disqualify himself from any meeting on the matter unless he was asked to join in He said, however, that he did want to participate in any consideration by the committee of whether the judges who wrote the letters had violated the code of ethics Meanwhile, theHstatus of Thr Ragano case seemed to be in limbo The bar has asked for a rehearing before the Supreme Court in an attempt to get the court to reverse itself and suspend Ragano. But one of the justices on the five man panel that ruled to allow Ragano to remain in law practice, Justice Joseph A.

Boyd, is not hearing cases for at least the next month, according to Chief Justice James Adkins Ragano is appealing his conviction to a fedeial court Harris to Follow Up on Roll Padding Gripe TAILAHASSFE (AP) One of the first items on the agenda for former Rep Mar shall Harris' first meeting as a member of (he Board of Re genls is on "enrollment pad a pet project of his in the Legislature The policy proposal on lim Ming state paymenls for grad uate students is implementing a law Harris pushed through the Legislature after a subcommittee of his Appropria lions Committee uncovered al legations that students were signing up for excessive hours to increase funds paid to the universities The regents staff already has made some changes in the proposal after Harris read it in advance and found wt he cajled technical "At least they gave me something I'm familar with for my first meeting," the IV ami lawyer oked The propqsal to come be fore the regents meeting today in St Petersburg puts a ceil ing on the number of hours the state will pay for graduate programs to 65 hours for master and 170 to 190 for Ph depending on the River Plan Gets Stiff Opposition TALLAHASSEE (AP) State officials have met with stiff opposition in their first attempt to place a river under the Florida Cabinet scenic and wild river preservation program At a public meeting last week in Monticello, residents around North Florida Wacis sa River opposed slate plans to seek preservation of the nat ural beauty of the river The local residents said they didn't trust the state "The state should clean up i's own house before it comes here to tell us what to do with the river," said Joe Markley. who received the loudest applause from those attending the meeting John Squires, Parks and Recreation Division planning director, said a few of those attending the meeting wanted the state to preserve the 13'2 miles of the scenic, spring fed river and a short canal that has been a favorue of canoe ists The Wacissa is one of nine being studied for inclusion in the scenic and wild river sys tern. Squires said The others are the Black Water in Anata Rosa and Oka loosa counties Hillsborough River, Chipola in North Flon da, Wekiva near Orlando, Ith etucknee Riber, Econlock hatchee 'east of Orlando Loxa hatchee in Palm Beach County and Econfina Creek near Pan ama City "The primary purpose of the system is to serve outdoor recreation purpose through the preservation of the esthetic and wilderness qualities of ex ceptional rivers and streams, Squires said said he didn ex pect as much opposition in other areas of the state to preservation plans as was voiced at the Monticello meeting last week The state program is pat terned after the federal wild erness system, Squires said The state is seeking (o reach legal agreements with landowners on use of the land, he said course If a student takes more than that number of hours, el ther voluntarily or by requirement, the university would have to pay the cost from Its budget, said HendHx Chan dler, regents corporate secretary Except (or the minor Hems, the policy meets the require ments which were written into the appropriations act, Harris said The oversights actually were to the benefit of the Leg islature rather than the universities "but they ought to be changed or we would look silly," he said "I think they (regents) per haps need more information and I intend to discuss items so that air the regents under stand them," Harris said He did not seek re election to the Legislature last year after serving four terms in the House and he was appointed a regent by Gov Askew last month After Harris' subcommittee uncovered the paddmg Chancellor Robert Mautz ordered a study and he and other officials denied there was any padding "They still haven't forgiven me for that but I carVt make everybody happy," Harris said Harris, who attended a briefing on his new position last week in Tallahassee, said he also asked that problems of meeting state funding cutbacks be brought before the regents today "If we delayed them, we would have far fewer reasona ble alternatives," he said Also on the regents' agenda "are reconfmena'afio'h "by" Mautz to establish the Florida Solar Energy Center at a uni versity system complex on Cape Canaveral and a discussion by Chancellor designate York of a proposed legislative program 'At least they gave me something I'm familar with for my first meeting. I think they (regents) perhaps need more information and I intend to discuss items so that all the regents understand them. MARSHALL HARRIS SfTsiiHfsiiii! El iEmViH How MiiiiiiiB HOUSE PANELS TO BE BUSY State Income Sag Tops Agenda TALLAHASSEE (AP) Sagging state revenues and new attempts to limit the pow ers of state 'Caoinet officers highlight a busy schedule of House committee meetings this week Also on the agenda in the first round of committee meet ings for the 1975 session were consideration of the Equal Rights Amendment, a state energy policy, reorganization of the Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and several ethics complaints Both House and Senate budget committees planned preparatory work toward producing a 1975 76 appropria IHp! BiiHHsissiiiiiiiiHk (SSslr iiiiiiiiiiflLliiiiiiiiMLiBrBLw.Sy vPl.

rM, Wf iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiStAsHK'HKll i TODAY UPI TtUpholO Crash Scene Investigator checks wreckage of twin engine aircraft that crashed moments after take off Saturday night from Opa Locka Airport. Officials identified the pilot killed as Michael Champion, 24. He lost control 400 feet above the runway and missed a row of houses before crashing. Champion had returned to clear customs after taking a passenger to the Bahamas, and was headed for North Perry Field, Hollywood. 3 Robbery Suspects No Match For Miami Official, Policeman MIAMI (AP) Miami City Commissioner Plummer has joined the drive against crime by chasing three rob bery suspects ill his Cadiltar, rescuing their victim and handcuffing a husky attacker to a telephone pole Miami officer Gerald Green the nation's top police man in 1973, was Plummer's chance partner in the Satur day afternoon drama Plummer was driving in downtown Miami when he spotted" Green, in plain clothes, walking along the sidewalk He invited Green to ride along for awhile, noting that no one would think a Cad iliac would be used as a police undercovercar Rounding a corner, they drove up to the scene of a robbery "It was unbelievable," Green said "There was this old man on all fours on his hands and knees trying to get away These three hoods were beating him like a dog They had knocked his false teeth out of his head, out into the middle of Second Street "They were beating the tar nation out of him, right in front of us'the stocky, 42 year old Plummer said "We bailed out of the car in TODAY Wirt Strkt 3 Pedestrians Die in Accidents 31 TALLAHASSEE Three pedestrians and a man riding a bicycle were among seven persons killed in weekend traffic accidents on Florida roads, the state Highway Patrol said Sunday.

Virginia Highley, 63, of Franklin, was killed Saturday when she was struck by a camper as she walked along a bridge on SR 5 in MonVoe County, officers said. TrrJopers said she apparently fell into the path bf the vehicle. Another pedestrian, Cecil Trammell, 34, of Gainesville, died when he was struck bya car as he walked beside a road south of Mulberry, troopers said. Qfficers were withholding the identity of another pedgstnan who was hit by a car In Polk Counnty. Trooper? said the victim was from Frostproof TODAY In Florida Bicyclist Philip L.

Bevans, 68, of Fort Lauderdale, was thrown 70 feet and killed Saturday when his bicycle was hit by a car on Sunrise Boulevard" in Broward County, officers said Troopers reported these other accident deaths Leonard Robinson, 17, of Orlando; Robert Kinsey, 18, of Lakeland, and Clarence Stoddard, 75, of Jacksonville. Police Officer Killed ST' AUGUSTINE BEACH A St Augustine Beach police Bfficer was shot and killed while attempting to question a man who abandoned a car, officials said Sunday St Johns County Sheriff Dudley Garrett said Deputy Ron Parker, 27, was shot several times by a young man late Saturday. The young man was wounded in a gun battle with another officer, and was in' fair condition at a local hospital, Garrett said. Prosecutor Named TALLAHASSEE Gov. Askew has named State Atty.

Gordon Oldham of Leesburg as special prosecutor in the Feb. 18 trial of a former Sarasota County sheriff's deputy, Askew assigned djdhatn to prosecute charges of assault and battery and dangerous display of a firearm against An thfhy A'damskjof Sarasota Foster's Spelling Forgiven WHITE SPRINGS (AP) Stephen Foster misspelled the name and, as far as anyone knows, never saw the little North Florida river that comes out of the Okefenokee swamp arid meanders down to the Gulf of Mexico. But his rich heritage of unforgettable melodies such as "Way down upon the Swanee River" will be recalled In a series of programs this week at the memorial' dedicated to him on the north bank of the Suwannee. Foster died in New York City 111 years ago, Jan. 13, 1864.

He was 37. Musical groups and individuals from Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Madison, Lake City, Orange Park and Green Springs will present programs each afternoon through. Sunday. and were on top of them less than two seconds The three youths ran Gun in hand, 'Green yelled to the commissioner to swing the car around and cut them off while he chased them on foot Plummer roared off As he rounded a corner, he confronted the biggest of the three suspects "We had him boxed in between 's Cadillac and my gun," Green said "He had nowhere to go He didn't want to be a hood ornament," Plummer added The commissioner manacled the husky, 15 year old youth to a telephone pole with Green's handcuffs while Creen took off after the other two But cruising police cars joined the chase and the youths were caught Their victim, 78 year old Humbert JPinola, was being beaten after resisting the youths' demands for his money He had $2. 1 Applicants Interviewed TALLAHASSEE (AP) The Parole and Probation Qualifications Committee has tested and started interviewing 54 applicants 'for two new $27,600 a year parole commissioner positions 'Circuit Judge James Joan os of Tallahassee, committee chairman, said the panel interviewed 19 applicants Friday and the rest Saturday lions bill State revenues have slipped about $232 million this fiscal year, and every indica tion is that money will be tight next year Aides said House Appropri ations Chairman Edmond For tune, Pace, would alert his committee that this would be a "belt tightening" spending bill House Finance and Taxa lion Chairman Carl Ogden, Jacksonville, planned to dis cuss at a Tuesday meeting ways to adjust tax burdens, improve tax collections and sharpen revenue estimates He said the $232 million revenue sag projected by budget analvsts 'ist a pure guesstimate Isn it redicu lous that in the age of com put ers and electronics we're still doing guesstimates think we need to do a better job Ogden said he agreed with Gov Askew's inaugural statement that the economic crunch called tor living within available revenue rather than levying new taxes, but said there ought to be adjustments in existing tax loads "I will have one particular and specific method that I will announce at the meeting," he said The House Judiciary Com mittee had on its agenda proposed constitutional amend ments limiting Cabinet mem bers to two consecutive terms and staggering 'her election Such measures, defeated in past sessions, may gain momentum as a result of the 1974 indictments of Treasurer Thqmas O'Malley, lormer Comptroller Fred Dickinson and former EducationCom mis sioner Floyd Christian I think that if Cabinet members sit as an equal to the governor in voting on state matters they should be limited to two terms like the gover nor," said Rep Earl Hutto, Panama City Hutto sponsoreb a proposal calling for election of three Cabinet members every two years instead of all six at four year intervals Rep Eric Smith, Jacksonville, spon sored the two term limit proposal Staggered terms would reduce the number of Cabinet of ficers on the ballot at any giv en time, creating more inter est in the races, Hutto safd The select Committee on Human Rights was expected to give its approval to ratifica tion of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Con stitution.

The ERA has failed for three years to get through the Florida Legislature, but Speaker Donald Tucker, Tallahassee, has said it will clear the House this time A subcommittee of Tucker's newly created Growth and Energy Committee Is slated to begin consideration Wednesday of a state growth policy Reorganization of the HRS Department, the state's health, welfare and social sciences agency, is scheduled to come before a House HRS subcommittee Wednesday HRS Secretary Keller is working on a reorganization plan creating regional adrnmistra tors for better 'coordination of department services The State Standards and Conduct Committee has sched uled a session today on several charges of ethics violations One, flledy Ethel Levy of Miami, accuses Askew of failing to help her recover money lost, to confidence men.