DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970 | 1970-12-02 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Student Senate Urges Probe On Alleged Court Abuses""

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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1970

1970-12-02 Iowa City Press-Citizen Article: ""Student Senate Urges Probe On Alleged Court Abuses""

P-C 12/2/70 

Student Senate Urges Probe On Alleged Court Abuses

[photo]
The University of Iowa Student Senate Tuesday night accepted the recommendation of Student Body President S. Beller that an executive commission be set up to investigate alleged legal abuses in the court of Iowa City Police Judge Joseph Thornton. 
In his report to the Senate Beller said he had received " a number of second and third hand reports" of such abuses. He said he was "not accusing Thornton of abuses but felt it best to check it out."
" If there's nothing to it, fine" Beller added. Beller did not specify the nature of the alleged abuses. 
Thornton said he had not been informed of the setting up of the commission and that he could make no comment. 
Beller said that although commission members had not yet been selected, the group would include " a wide spectrum" of members of the university community and the city.
"This is not a 'cart before the horse' type thing" Beller later commented. 
ROBERT BELLER
" The purpose of the commission is to determine if the abuses do exist I'm not convinced they do. 
" The commission will be a group of people who won't have presuppositions."

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P-C 12/2/70 Student Senate Urges Probe On Alleged Court Abuses [photo] The University of Iowa Student Senate Tuesday night accepted the recommendation of Student Body President S. Beller that an executive commission be set up to investigate alleged legal abuses in the court of Iowa City Police Judge Joseph Thornton. In his report to the Senate Beller said he had received " a number of second and third hand reports" of such abuses. He said he was "not accusing Thornton of abuses but felt it best to check it out." " If there's nothing to it, fine" Beller added. Beller did not specify the nature of the alleged abuses. Thornton said he had not been informed of the setting up of the commission and that he could make no comment. Beller said that although commission members had not yet been selected, the group would include " a wide spectrum" of members of the university community and the city. "This is not a 'cart before the horse' type thing" Beller later commented. ROBERT BELLER " The purpose of the commission is to determine if the abuses do exist I'm not convinced they do. " The commission will be a group of people who won't have presuppositions."