Del Rio News Herald from Del Rio, Texas • Page 3

Judge cites legal, ethical conflicts LAREDO (AP) A Utah woman's conviction for conspiring to smuggle Mexican infants into the United States for adoption was the latest in a growing number of immigration cases pitting the federal government what a judge said are apparently well-meaning citizens. District Judge George -jfeffzen found Nelda Colwell guilty of conspiring to smug- jiffe illegal aliens and compared case to national sanctuary workers who also immigration laws on they say are moral grounds. said he found the case sad" and told Mrs. Coll-Well, a 39-year-old mother of six children, that she "got in -a situation where your heart overruled your head." Kazen said Mrs. Colwell got into a situation where she believed the "noble end" of helping poor infants justified breaking the law.

"I see this problem with the whole question of immigration," said Kazen. "Our laws of immigration sometimes interfere with our sense of what is humane and is right." said church workers in the National movement to assist Salvadoran aliens face the same moral question. Last month, a federal judge in Brownsville convicted Stacey Lynn Merkt of Colorado Springs, of conspiring to transport Salvadoran illegal aliens. Ms. Merkt and supporters of the sanctuary movement say the Salvadorans were fleeing persecution and death in their war-torn homeland.

They maintain it is a moral and religious imperative to help these people find safety even if it means helping them enter the country illegally. Mrs. Colwell helped arrange adoptions for Mormon families in Utah who wanted large families but found adoption in the United States nearly impossible because of a variety of legal and practical reasons. After Mrs. Colwell and another woman, Sandra Green, successfully adopted children in Mexico, other couples began asking how it was done.

"Everywhere I went with my Mexican baby, people said, 'Where did you get that I guess it like a fly in a glass of milk." testified Mrs Green, a fair-skinned blonde. "And everyone said, 'My brother or sister or cousin would like to The women located children through contacts in Mexico, often helping impoverished or unwed mothers who wanted to find homes for their babies They accepted a $1.000 donation to cover travel expenses and telephone bills, but they never made any money from the service, Mrs. Green testified. Utah couples would fly to the border and begin a long wait in Juarez. Nuevo Laredo or Nuevo rasa Grandes.

Mexico, near El Paso, while Mexican adoption papers were finalized and the U.S. Immigration Service processed visa requests. Some parents grew impatient or ran into obstacles and about 15 children were smuggled across without documents, attorneys said. "These people get so baby- hungry that they would do almost anything to get a baby." defense attorney George Handy observed during a break from court Wednesday. Mrs.

Colwell was convicted of conspiring to help two Utah couples smuggle their babies, and for aiding and abetting in the falsification of U.S. birth certificates She worked with three Laredo women who pleaded guilty to reduced charges in a plea bargain last May. The judge reminded Mrs. Colwell that her partner in decision- making, Mrs Green, had testified she would "obey the law until it violated her sense of what was right and then she'd follow her sense of what was right." Defense attorneys called a series of adoptive parents who testified that they smuggled their children without Mrs. knowledge.

Kazen said these parents intended to comply with the law, but believed "the baby comes first." "And I'm not here to criticize that," Kazen said. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Alamaraz said Mrs. Colwell is likely to receive probation. A sentencing date was to be set later by the judge.

"She probably didn't mean to get in this situation." said Almaraz. "I really can't see her spending one day in jail nor are we go- mg to ask for it." he said He said he had not decided whether to seek indictments against Mrs. Green and the other parents who testified. Defense co-counsel Sharon Trigo said her client has already been punished. "The punishment that her feelings have given her through this whole thing have been worse that any punishment the law pro- irlos." she said FAMILY PORTRAIT "The Salvaggio a family portrait by Janis Rubin, is one of 53 photos depicting families in Texas on display in the Firehouse Gallery throughout June.

Eight photographers contributed to "The Ties That Bind" which is currently touring the state, sponsored by Women and Their Work, an Austin based organization. Skeleton may he missing child Man arrested after fleeing from sentence CALDWELL (APi A man who fled rather than face sentencing on a murder conviction was arrested as he walked to his motel room to meet with a reporter who was the bait in a trap. Richard Tuck, 47, was unarmed and surrendered to Texas Rangers and other law officers Thursday night. "We couldn't let you hurt yourself," reporter Jerry White of the Austin American- Statesman told Tuck. Tuck was convicted of murder in Georgetown on Wednesday in the slaying of Debra Inman, who was identified in court testimony as the lesbian lover of Tuck's daughter.

The daughter, Debbie Tuck, who was a witness in the trial, also testified that Tuck shot her but she recovered Ms. Inman, 29, was shot in July 1983 in the house in Williamson County where she and Ms. Tuck Sentencing on the murder iction was scheduled for Thurs- day but Tuck, who was free on $25,000 bond, failed to appear. Tuck telephoned the Austin American-Statesman, saying he did not show up in court for his sentencing because he had been falsely convicted. Tuck said he intended to kill himself because he could not face a prison term.

"I'm checking out. I'm killing myself." Tuck said. "I'm not the kind of person who can survive in a prison. I can't go to prison and I can't live as a fugitive." Soviets say Reagan's comments don't indicate change in attitude MOSCOW (AP) A Soviet commentator, reacting to President Reagan's comments about the possibility of a meeting with President Konstantin U. Chcrnenko.

said Friday that the Soviets are still against talks "for the sake of talking." Reagan's tone may be less harsh, but he said nothing in a news conference Thursday to indicate he takes a more realistic approach to the Kremlin, said a commentary by the Soviet news agency Novosti. Reagan said the "door is open" for a summit with Chernenko. In the past Reagan, like the Soviets, has said that a summit should take place only after thorough preparation that could lead to conclusive results. But he indicated Thursday that prior assurances of a successful outcome were no longer essential. The Novosti commentary was the only public Soviet reaction Friday to Reagan's comments.

It reiterated Soviet statements. "A change in tone, if there is any, is not a change in substance," said commentator Vladimir Alexeev. "If it has taken the present administration years to just tone down its hostile rhetoric, one can only wonder how many years it will need to change to a more realistic course in Soviet- American relations," he said. U.S. nuclear proposals have so many strings attached to them that the United States knows they will be unacceptable to the Soviets, and the United States can accuse the Soviets of intransigence, he said.

On Thursday, before Reagan's comments, Kremlin spokesman Leonid Zamyatin said there was a possibility for a meeting between Peagan and Chernenko. But he said it depends on preparation of the issues. "This has been made known to the U.S. both publicly and privately. This is very hard to predict.

It depends on whether the preparation of the issues can take place." he said. A top-ranking U.S. diplomat, speaking on the condition that he not be identified, said Friday that Zamyatin's statement appeared to be a restatement of the Soviet posture, although some of what Zamyatin said was ambiguous. Asked if there were any contacts between U.S. and Soviet officials aimed at preparing a summit, the diplomat refused comment.

Reagan's statement spoke for itself, he said. The only other Soviet commentary on Reagan's news conference was by the official news agency Tass. Tass devoted its entire report to questions about the administration's record on civil rights and other issues involving minorities. REC WINNERS Students were selected best in their classes during the first week of the city's Summer Recreation Program at each campus. They are (top row, from left) Sylvia best artist, Memorial; Omar Reyes, best artist, Canales, best dancer, Padilla, best dancer, Sauceda, boy of the 7th Grade; Tiffany Memorial; Robina 7th Grade; Mark week, Memorial; Claudia Esquivel, girl of the week for Memorial.

Bottom row from left are Raul Jr, best artist, Memorial; Ricardo Martinez, best artist, 7th grade; Robert Martinez, boy of week, 7th grade; Mary Alice Soto, girl of week, 7th grade; Veronica Garcia, girl of week for UCO; and Caesar Martinez, boy the week, UCO The American-Statesman said it notified the Department of Public Safety of Tuck's whereabouts. "We felt we had a responsibility to notify the police because of our concern for Richard Tuck's life and the safety of others," said Editor Ray Mariotti. Mariotti and White, riding in former Austin Mayor Roy Butler's helicopter, accompanied officers to the Best Western Motel in Caldwell. BRECKENRIDGE (AP) A small skeleton was found buried in a field near Breckenridge, but authorities would not say Friday whether they believed the bones may be those of Ryan Burton, a child missing almost three years. "The remains have been sent to Dallas for general research," Breckenridge police Capt.

David Jordan said. The bones were found Thursday night and forwarded Friday to the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office. Police would not reveal how they were discovered. Ryan Burton, then 3. was taken from her crib Sept.

6, 1981 while her parents, Donald and Helen Burton, were attending a Texas Rangers baseball game in Arl- ington. A 12-year-old baby sitter, who was watching Ryan and her brother, Jason, 10, said she fell asleep during the early morning hours and when she awoke the child was gone. Mrs. Burton said Friday that the family had not been told whether the remains were those of her daughter. "I would feel relieved, but I pray that it's not," she said.

"We're just sitting her waiting like everybody else." Lloyd Mayberry, general manager of radio station KSTB, said he saw the remains Thursday night where they were discovered near a tumbled-down rock fence along a rural road one mile south of U.S. 180. If I can caulk, you can caulk. The truth is I'm about as handy as a broken corkscrew, but I had to do something to cut heating and cooling costs for the old house I bought last year. And there isn't anybody to do it but me.

"Research is my specialty, so I found some studies showing that the biggest energy-waster in most homes is air infiltration the unwanted seepage of air into and out of a house. It can cost you money on your heating and air conditioning bills! "After a little more research, I decided on three inexpensive methods of stopping some of those expensive drafts. All were things I could manage at my own pace after work and on weekends with some instructional help from a free booklet I got from Central Power and Light Company. "I began with the easiest project: installing special gaskets behind all the wall light switch outlets and plug-in sockets. Then I replaced the worn-out weather stripping around the windows and doors.

"Now I'm involved in something that seems to go on and on caulking. You wouldn't believe the number of places in this house air was whistling through. I've filled up cracks around the foundation, around the doors and windows, and at all the places where holes were cut for wires, pipes and ducts. "But you know, it's kind of fun. It gets my mind off my real job and it's going to save me a lot of money for a very small investment.

Why don't you get a booklet from CPL and get started on eliminating drafts from your house? You'll reduce your utility bills and become well acquainted with some places around your home you didn't even know existed. caL Jr Central Central Power and Light Company A Membet of the Central and South West System CPt..