Prosecutor Says Justice Served

Convictions in the Rodney King trial showed that the American legal system can and does work, the case's federal prosecutor told approximately 60 people at the Institute of Politics on Tuesday.

Wayne Budd, a former U.S. associate attorney general, said he was satisfied with the ultimate outcome of the case, although he doesn't believe justice was fully served.

"I believe that all four [police officers] were guilty, although only two were convicted," Budd said. "Can I live with it? Yes. Was complete and total justice done? No, Was substantial justice done? Yes."

Several members of the Los Angles Police Department were videotaped beating King in the spring of 1991.

When the four officers were acquitted of nearly all the charges, riots broke out across the country.

The cops were eventually tried in federal court, and two of them were convicted of violating King's civil rights.

Those convictions, said Budd, prove that the courts eventually serve justice.

"The system can work and does work, if we allow it to go forward," he said.

But Budd said he wasn't satisfied with the prison sentences meted out to the convicted police officers.

The law recommends a sentence of five to seven years and a $250,000 restitution for the crimes for which the cops were convicted, Budd said. The prosecution asked for seven to nine years and a $150,000 fine. The judge gave a shorter sentence than that was requested and no imposed monetary penalty.

Budd said the judge decided that the officershad suffered enough already, between the negativepublicity and the almost certain loss of theirjobs.

Budd also said the convictions showed him thatvictims are entitled to Constitutional protection.

King was apprehended only after a car chase,and "I can't tell you he was a model citizen,"Budd said.

But regardless of his past, King still deservedprotection, Budd said.

Budd began the discussion with a review of theKing case and an explanation of why the fourpolice officers were tired twice.

The Constitution forbids a repeat trial for acitizen acquitted of a given crime.

But Budd said that if federal laws are violatedthat have not been vindicated in a state trial,the federal government has the option of steppingin.

After the initial acquittal in state court forassault and battery, he said, the federalgovernment decided to intervene on the groundsthat the police had deprived King of his civilrights.

This task, Budd said, was particularlydifficult because the prosecution had to show thatthe officers intended to violate King's rights.

"Nobody was able to say they [overheard a copsay], 'let's go out and get this guy King. let'sbeat him because he's Black," Budd said. "Therewas no smoking gun. We had to look atcircumstantial evidence."

And Budd denied that the Justice Departmentpursued the case for purely politicalreasons--even though the federal investigationbegan just seven months before former presidentGeorge Bush faced in election.

"The attorney general would be asking me whathappened with this case, but it was notpolitical," Budd said. "Nobody ever directed thecourse of this case, sending me down this or thatway.

Budd said the judge decided that the officershad suffered enough already, between the negativepublicity and the almost certain loss of theirjobs.

Budd also said the convictions showed him thatvictims are entitled to Constitutional protection.

King was apprehended only after a car chase,and "I can't tell you he was a model citizen,"Budd said.

But regardless of his past, King still deservedprotection, Budd said.

Budd began the discussion with a review of theKing case and an explanation of why the fourpolice officers were tired twice.

The Constitution forbids a repeat trial for acitizen acquitted of a given crime.

But Budd said that if federal laws are violatedthat have not been vindicated in a state trial,the federal government has the option of steppingin.

After the initial acquittal in state court forassault and battery, he said, the federalgovernment decided to intervene on the groundsthat the police had deprived King of his civilrights.

This task, Budd said, was particularlydifficult because the prosecution had to show thatthe officers intended to violate King's rights.

"Nobody was able to say they [overheard a copsay], 'let's go out and get this guy King. let'sbeat him because he's Black," Budd said. "Therewas no smoking gun. We had to look atcircumstantial evidence."

And Budd denied that the Justice Departmentpursued the case for purely politicalreasons--even though the federal investigationbegan just seven months before former presidentGeorge Bush faced in election.

"The attorney general would be asking me whathappened with this case, but it was notpolitical," Budd said. "Nobody ever directed thecourse of this case, sending me down this or thatway.