Western Front - 1979 October 5

              Western Front VOL. 71, NO. 59 WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1979
Saulisbury claims discrimination
by GREGG OLSEN
Western student Darrell L.
Saulisbury and Judith M. Toth
were arrested on investigation
of promoting prostitution
charges on Sept. 27.
Saulisbury, 21, and Toth, 23,
were charged last week after
two Bellingham girls claimed
they had been threatened when
they refused to solicit for Toth
and Saulisbury. The girls were
16 and 17 years old, police said.
Saulisbury denied the
charges and professed his
innocence in an interview with
the~Front Tuesday. One of the
reasons he said he was held on a
$5,000 bond was because he is
black.
"Any time a black man is
charged with making money
off of white girls they're going
to nail him," Saulisbury said.
Saulisbury was originally
held on a $3,000 bond, which
was raised to $5,000 when one
of the girls was threatened
Sept. 27.
Sgt. Gary Scott of the
Bellingham Police Dept.
denied any racial discrimina­tion.
He said bail was raised
because "one of the girls was
threatened with bodily harm."
Although Saulisbury was in jail
at the time the threats were
made, his bail was increased
"due to the nature of the
threats," Scott said.
Saulisbury posted bond
Sunday. Toth has been released
on personal recognizance.
Whatcom County Prose­cutor
Dave McEachran said
Toth was released because "she
had ties in the community that
Saulisbury did not have."
McEachran said Toth and
Saulisbury face a maximum
penalty of 10 years in prison
Instructor
alters
permit
A Western faculty member
had a parking permit revoked
and lost parking privileges for
one year after altering a permit,
Lt. Dave Doughty, Safety and
Security, said.
The original permit was
purchased for lot 26P next to
Fairhaven and cost $12. The
permit was altered for lot 16G
next to Arntzen Hall. Space in
that lot sells for $54.
The faculty member's name
was not released because no
arrest was made.
"We have caught students
before trying to alter their
permits, but this is the first time
a faculty member has been
caught," Doughty said.
and a $10;000 fine if convicted
of the first degree charges.
Saulisbury said all the case
boils down to is his and Toth's
word against the two juveniles.
"Who do you think this
narrow-minded community is
going to believe? A black man
or the two white girls?"
Saulisbury said.
Saulisbury said the affidavit
for probable cause is
" i n a c c u r a t e . " Saulisbury
claims one of the girls is 19
years old, not 17. He refused to
note any of the other
discrepancies, but said there
were "many."
Sgt. Scott said the affidavit
is correct.
Scott would not comment on
the alleged false identification
Toth supplied the girls. He
refused to affirm or deny that
any prostitution occurred in
the Birnam Wood apartment
rented by Saulisbury.
"We have no proof or
evidence either way," he said.
Saulisbury said he would
agree to a polygraph test in
order to prove his innocence.
"I'd be willing, but it isn't
admissible in court. Don't you
think it will help me?" he said.
Saulisbury said he feels he
has no choice but to drop out of
Western at this time. "Maybe
I'll go to the U of W (Univ. of
Washington). Do you think I
could walk around this
campus?" he said.
At a hearing before Judge
Byron Swedberg Tuesday.
Saulisbury's attorney, Jerome
Doherty, requested and
received a postponement for
the jury trial originally
scheduled for Oct. 8.
Toth had not yet secured
counsel.
Trial date was tentatively set
between Dec. 26-Jan. 2. An
omnibus hearing has been
scheduled for Oct. 25 in
Superior Court.
Inside Friday
Workers talk softly about unsafe cargo
Many people in the transportation and civil service industry
today are responding to public outcry concerning transpor­tation
of hazardous cargo.
In the railroad industry, those who are authorized to speak
for their companies can give only vague information regarding
specific emergency procedures. The others who have facts and
figures and those who work around the cargo cannot officially
speak to the public.
One Burlington Northern employee put it this way: "If my
supervisor saw my name, he would frown."
Today's Front looks at hazardous material transportation
on page 3. The sources who gave their names are quoted. The
others are workmen and clerks who deal directly with certain
aspects of the industry. Their credentials are explained, but
many fear reprisals of some sort if their names were used, so
many remain anonymous.