His Day in Court

Five witnesses appeared in a Boston municipal court Thursday morning to testify that they saw Emeka Ezera '81 studying in Lamont Library at the same time he allegedly stole a woman's purse at the Park St. subway station. But they never had to testify.

Following the testimony of the victim and the arresting officer, Charles Grabau, Boston municipal court judge, Thursday afternoon declared Ezera not guilty of "larceny of person." The morning of the trial, over 160 supporters, mostly Harvard students, packed the courtroom.

A change in prosecuting attorneys postponed the trial to the afternoon session. The district attorney's office suddenly decided to switch prosecutors, because of the "alibi witness defense," Edward M. Burns, the prosecuting attorney, said Thursday after the trial. Burns said the scheduled attorney was a third-year law school student, "and they wanted to call a member of the bar." Burns, a student at the Kennedy School of Government, could not be reached yesterday for further comment.

During the week, Concerned Students for Emeka Ezera's Defense (CSEED) set up tables in House dining halls to raise money for Ezera's defense.

Tuesday, Ezera and Rufus V. Johannes '81, a representative of CSEED, met with Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel for the University, to discuss the possibility of the University's open support for his case. Ezera said President Bok later joined the meeting and the two "expressed their concern" about the matter. Steiner said following the meeting that he had written the "appropriate public authority about the incident."

A Wednesday night rally which featured State Rep. Melvin R. King, Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, associate professor of Psychiatry at the Medical School, and Winston Kendall, Ezera's attorney, attracted more than 70 people from the Harvard community. Ezera attributed his success to the support from University students.