Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 4

A4 ARIZONA DAILY STAR Tuesday, December 9, 2003 3 News from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast Lawsuits target ex-Phoenix priest Judge panel reinstates state's open primaries fice signed by then-Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien intended to "insure the future protection of children and compensation for past victims of child abuse." Officials with the dioceses that were sued over Perez were unable to comment Monday, explaining that they had not yet seen the legal actions. A spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Orange confirmed that Perez had been employed there beginning in 1984 but said he was suspended in 1991 when Orange officials learned of allegations against him that had surfaced in Phoenix. Perez resigned in June 1991. I Contact reporter Stephanie Innes at 573-4134 or at sinnesazstarnet.com.

Phoenix, 1977-78; St. Mary's in Chandler, 1979-80; St. Margaret in Tempe, 1981; Immaculate Heart, Phoenix, in 1982; Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Glendale, 1983-84. Perez left the priesthood between 1984 and 1993, when a civil lawsuit was filed against him. But the case was dismissed because the statute of limitations had expired.

In June, Maricopa County Attorney Richard Romley announced the indictment of six priests in connection with abusing children. Though he had died, Perez's name was on the list, accused of six counts of sexual conduct with a minor and one count of public sexual indecency. The indictments resulted in an agreement with the prosecutor's of and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. Perez recently died of a heart attack. He was 63.

Tucson attorney Lynne M. Cadi-gan and California attorney John Manly filed the latest legal actions just in time to qualify for a yearlong amnesty the California Legislature has placed on sexual abuse lawsuits. The state lifted the statute of limitations on old abuse cases for a year, resulting in hundreds of filings against the Roman Catholic Church in California, including five that name the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson as a defendant. Perez, who was ordained in California in 1973, worked in Phoenix between 1976 and 1984. His history of ministry included: St.

Matthew in By Stephanie Innes ARIZONA DAILY STAR A Tucson attorney has filed two lawsuits over sexual abuse in Jhe Roman Catholic Church alleging incidents of "boy-swapping" and orgies conducted by a former Phoenix priest. The legal actions, filed in California, accuse the late Rev. Henry Perez of taking Catholic boys from Phoenix on trips to California, he gave the youths drugs and alcohol, and forced them to engage in sexual conduct, including "sexual 'orgies" with other priests. The suits, filed by two Phoenix men now in their 30s, name as defendants the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, in Orange County, Dignity Village a home to homeless Ore. venture's future in limbo i Sk a 4t i in 4 By Howard Fischer CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES and C.J.

Karamargln ARIZONA DAILY STAR Arizona's more than 500,000 independent voters are free to cast ballots in September's primaries, an appeals court ruled Monday. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of. Appeals threw out part of a year-old ruling by a federal judge in Tucson that voided the state's open-primary law. "It opens the door for independents to vote in all primary elections Democrats, Republicans and Libertarians," said Attorney General Terry Goddard.

The unanimous ruling does not affect the state's Feb. 3 Democratic presiden- tj A4 etf tial preference JWeiate election, which is tO VOt governed by a sep- The rujng appies arate statute. Vot- to the Sept. 7 Democ-ing in that election ratic and Republican is limited to regis- primaries for state tered Democrats. and county offices.

In an unsigned Voters can register opinion, the judges for that eection untj said U.S. District Ug 9 2004 Judge Raner Collins should thepyjmaCounty have limited his Recorder's Office. 115 decision solely to Church or objections to the find a list of other open primary sites at www.recorder. brought by the Lib- co.pima.az.us ertarian Party. 1 Call the Recorder's The court agreed 0ffjce 740.4330 for with the Libertari- voter information, an argument that independents The ruling does not shoiud not be al- lowed to vote for SSSSm local party organ- fo be held Feb.

3 in izers known as Ari20na. Democrats precinct commit- only can register to teemen. But it vote in that election could not decide until Jan. 5. whether Libertarians also must be forced to let independent voters help choose the candidates for the party.

The judges sent the case back to Collins for another hearing. "It's a win for the Libertarian Party and for the First Amendment," said David T. Hardy, lawyer for the Libertarians. The director of elections for Pima County agreed but said the impact of the ruling is not likely to be large. "It's a small blip on the radar screen for election administration," Brad Nelson said.

Until 1998, voters needed to register with a specific party to vote in that party's primary. An initiative opened the process. Collins, ruling in the lawsuit brought by the Libertarian Party, had said that while the goal of increasing political participation is laudable, the state cannot force the procedure on unwilling political parties. i Contact reporter C.J. Karamargin at By Sarah Linn THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PORTLAND, Ore.

On a one-acre patch of asphalt near the about 80 homeless people are living in shelters slapped together 'but of scavenged planks, plastic, dry-wall and cardboard. But this is no ordinary shantytown. Dignity Village, as it is called, is an unusual social experiment: a government-sanctioned encampment for the homeless. Besides holding a city lease, it has its own government, maintains a Web site and operates as a nonprofit corporation. Residents get free legal advice from local lawyers, medical aid from a homeless shelter and financial support from a national network of charitable donors.

"There really isn't another model in the country that is as well-organized as Dignity Village," said Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C. "It's pretty revolutionary." Two years after it was built, though, Dignity Village has reached a crossroads. After its most recent lease expired at the end of October, residents asked the city to extend their stay for up to 10 years. They also requested the city stop charging rent for the site and make thousands of dollars in improvements at the location. The requests have set off a debate among city officials over whether to sink money into the project or put an end to the whole experiment and encourage homeless people to go shelters instead.

Some officials say shelters do a better job of providing health and job services. "The shelter system is more successful and more compassionate," said Michael Harrison, aide to Jim Francesconi, one of four city commissioners. "Before the city invests more money into Dignity Village, we should know that there are actual people who have been helped." Dignity Village's leaders argue that they have already shown they are helping the homeless. The Associated Press Slapdash construction is the order of the day for dwellings in Dignity Village, on an acre of asphalt near the airport in Portland, Ore. The village is one of the only government-sanctioned encampments for the homeless in the nation.

Benjamin Howard, a homeless man who serves as Dignity Village's fire chief, said it is a place in which people can develop a sense of stability, start looking for work and then move into low-income housing. About 200 have taken that step in the past two years, he said. Portland has an estimated 2,000 homeless people and 20 homeless shelters run by the city and private organizations. Other cities generally do not tolerate large-scale encampments of homeless people. In October, Seattle cracked down on "The Jungle," a homeless camp in the woods.

In Anchorage, Alaska, authorities cleared out about 50 sites in May because of the danger posed by the homeless people's campfires. Michael Stoops, director of community organizing for the National Coalition for the Homeless, said he believes Dignity Village is the nation's only camp for the homeless that is officially supported by a city government. Homeless people set up the encampment in September 2001 and won permission from the City Council. Dignity Village pays the city more than $20,000 a year for rent, water and garbage pickup, with most of the money coming from donations. It has rudimentary utilities, including portable potties and electricity provided by a windmill.

"It's a good resource that's helped a lot of vulnerable and lost people get back on their feet," said City Commissioner Erik Sten, one of Dignity Village's biggest supporters. But he said a 10-year extension may be too long and the city should not pick up all the costs the residents have requested for safety and sewage improvements. Many homeless people prefer Dignity Village to shelters because it offers self-government and more free dom. Unlike shelters, it has no curfew. It is governed by four board officers, who handle administrative concerns, and 11 council members, who manage day-to-day operations.

Residents who become violent or disrespectful or use drugs or alcohol are given 24 hours outside Dignity Village to cool off. Repeat offenders can be expelled. "We've never had a rape here. We've never had a murder," said village Chairman Jack Tafari. "If a girl goes there's 12 big, hairy guys there in a second." Villagers are required to contribute to the camp's upkeep, either through chores or by working outside Dignity Village.

"This is not Utopia," Howard said. "It's not where I really want to be. But it's a better than a lot of places I've been in." The residents are being allowed to stay until a deal is worked out on their proposal. Regional Briefing Governor, GOP in Senate agree on CPS funding By Howard Fischer CAPITOL MEDIA SERVICES PHOENLX Gov. Janet Napolitano and Senate Republicans struck a deal Monday night to provide more funds to Child Protective Services.

The agreement, the terms of which will be announced today, overcomes the last hurdle in the spat over reforms to the agency. Both sides had agreed to revamp the mission of CPS, including putting more emphasis on protection of children and less on preservation of the family. There also was a consensus to require all reports of abuse to be investigated. Until now, however, they had been far apart on how much money to give the agency. Napolitano had demanded $27 million in extra funds just to keep the agency operating at current levels.

She asked for an additional $8.5 million, much of that to hire more caseworkers she said are necessary to ensure all complaints of abuse and neglect are investigated. Senators responded with a $7.4 million offer but with $2.3 million of that taken from elsewhere in the Department of Economic Security, the parent agency of CPS. The governor said the compromise is between the extremes but would not provide details. Monday's closed-door negotiations did not include anyone from the House of Representatives. The measure that was approved there last week provided only $2.7 million.

1 Despite that, Napolitano said she was hopeful that once this package is approved by the Senate, perhaps as early as today, the House will come into line. da I ARIZONA Second Llarlne Jet crashes near Yuma YUMA A Marine jet crashed during a training flight the second one within a week, military officials said. The pilot ejected from the AV-8BII Harrier jet Monday, said 1st Lt. Kevin Hyde, a spokesman for the Marine Corps Air Station in Yuma. The aircraft was the same type that crashed last Wednesday in another training flight, and the pilots in both incidents were from Marine Attack Squadron-211.

The pilot, whose identity wasn't released, was in good condition. The plane crashed in the Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range in Southern California. The cause was under investigation. ipiaxi shoots his wife, then dies of gunshot WICKENBURG A man was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday shortly after he shot and wounded his estranged wife near Wicken-burg, officials said. Michael Cunningham, 62, followed his wife as she drove to work, pulled beside her vehicle and shot her, said Lisa Allen, spokeswoman for the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department.

Marci Cunningham, 38, of Wick-enburg suffered hand and facial in juries but they didn't appear to be life-threatening, Allen said. Authorities later found Michael Cunningham dead from a gunshot wound at his home near Morris-town, Allen said. WASHINGTON 'Cab Elvis' prevails in suit over costume SEATTLE In a victory for a cabdriver who dresses as Elvis Presley, the Seattle City Council voted to amend an ordinance requiring cab drivers to wear collared shirts and black pants and prohibits costumes. The driver, David Groh, who was fined last spring for violating the dress code, sued the city, saying the fine was a violation of his constitutional rights. The ordinance was changed to allow costumes, and Groh, who is known as "Cab Elvis," agreed to drop his lawsuit.

CALIFORNIA Ozzy Osbourne injured in crash on 'quad bike' LOS ANGELES Ozzy Osbourne was seriously injured Monday in an accident on the grounds of his estate in England and underwent emergency surgery, a spokeswoman said. The 55-year-old rock star was riding a "quad bike," or all-terrain vehicle, on his Buckinghamshire property when the accident occurred, according to a statement issued by publicist Cindy Guagenti. His injuries were not considered life-threatening, she said. An examination showed that Osbourne broke his collarbone, six ribs and a vertebra in his neck, Guagenti said. He was in surgery Monday evening at an undisclosed English hospital.

The operation was intended to lift the collarbone, believed to be resting on a major artery and interrupting blood flow to his arm. Surgeons also were trying to stem "some bleeding into his lungs." Osbourne was taking a day off from promoting the United Kingdom release of "Changes," a duet with his daughter Kelly, when the accident occurred. Schwarzenegger's accuser files libel suit LOS ANGELES A woman who alleged sexual harassment by Arnold Schwarzenegger filed a libel lawsuit Monday against the governor, saying his staff falsely suggested in an e-mail that she was a convicted felon. Rhonda Miller, who alleges Schwarzenegger groped her when she was working as a stuntwoman, says she has never been arrested and that the false information was broadcast on national television. Miller made the groping allegations in a news conference on Oct.

7, the day before the California gubernatorial recall election, with her at torney Gloria Allred by her side. Within hours, the Schwarzenegger campaign sent an e-mail directing reporters to the Los Angeles Superior Court Web site and instructing them to type in the name "Rhonda Miller." That produced court records for a different woman named Rhonda Miller, who had a long criminal record. The e-mail also noted that Allred was a large contributor to Democratic candidates, including then-incumbent governor Gray Davis. Attorney Paul Hoffman, representing Miller and Allred, said the Schwarzenegger campaign misled reporters about Miller's background to raise doubts about her allegations until the election was over. OREGON Skinhead gets 3 years for racist activities PORTLAND The ringleader of a skinhead gang was sentenced to nearly three years in prison Monday for burning crosses at a Jewish cemetery and spray-painting racist graffiti on a Korean church.

Brian Raymond Hauth, 27, who lives in Montana, pleaded guilty last summer to civil rights and conspiracy charges. The FBI contended Hauth was the "commander" of a teen hate group called the Oregon State Boot Boys. Wire reports.