Date: 27 Mar 93 07:36:29 EST From: David Lehrer <71756.2116@COMPUSERVE.COM> Subject: CuD "Munroe Falls carryout" The following is an editorial published in the Akron Beacon Journal on Wednesday, March 24, 1993. This editorial is copyrighted by the Akron Beacon Journal, and commercial use or resale of this article is forbidden. Permission to post this editorial in its entirety has been generously granted by Mr. David B. Cooper, Associate Editor. Background: The 9-month long Mark Lehrer/Akron Anomaly BBS felony trial situation terminated on March 8, 1993. Topic: Published articles about the Akron Anomaly BBS 'sting' directed by Munroe Falls, Ohio police chief Steve Stahl on June 18, 1992. All published articles concerning this 'sting' and associated battles will be distributed immediately upon permission being granted by the author(s). Responses are encouraged! >From the Beacon: "We welcome your letters and the chance to publish as many as possible." "We ask that letters be original, concise and legible and bear the writer's full signature, address and daytime phone number." "All letters are subject to editing. We withhold names only for good reason. The same conditions apply to letters sent by fax." "Please address your letters to Voice of the People, Akron Beacon Journal, P.O. Box 640, Akron, Ohio 44309-0640." "If you want to send your letter by fax, use our fax number: (216) 996-3520." David Lehrer ******************* 07084027 MUNROE FALLS CARRYOUT Akron Beacon Journal (AK) - WEDNESDAY March 24, 1993 Edition: 1 STAR Section: EDITORIAL Page: A14 Word Count: 313 MEMO: Editorial / Our Opinion TEXT: The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution was written to safeguard ordinary citizens against unreasonable search and seizure. Recently, however, law-enforcement officials have taken to seizing possessions of convicted and suspected criminals, particularly drug dealers. In the case of 23-year-old Munroe Falls resident Mark Lehrer, police confiscated a sophisticated, $3,000 computer setup, programs and disks on the suspicion that he might be letting kids look at dirty pictures. That charge was never proved. In fact, it appears that police received only one or two complaints about his computer bulletin board, none from area parents. Lehrer contends a clerical error put the pornography into files accessible to all the bulletin board's users, not just adults. Police enlisted a 15-year-old, falsified his identity for a membership and then helped the teen call up a possibly offending program. But, when the Summit County grand jury refused to indict the University of Akron computer whiz on the original charges, Munroe Falls police filed other charges based on the possibility that some of the programs in Lehrer's private collection contained pictures of minors. Lehrer did plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of 'attempted possession of criminal tools' -- his computer -- based on those subsequent charges. No one downplays the seriousness of crime in our society, whether it's in the suburbs or inner cities. None argue that children should be able to view pornography. But in the absence of compelling evidence that Lehrer was trying to peddle child porn to kids, either at the outset of this case nine months ago or now, it could appear that the police acted hastily in confiscating the computer. Such actions invite questions as to whether the police were protecting against a child pornographer or using the intimidating powers of the police and judicial system to help themselves to a nice hunk of expensive machinery. dl DESCRIPTORS: MUNROE FALLS; MARK LEHRER; POLICE; BIOGRAPHY; CHILD PORNOGRAPHY; EVIDENCE; OBSCENITY ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253