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( ot oe Finally, Busch felt the witnesses introduced by Ward to es- tablish that the County Clerk had effectively preserved the physical evidence were totally inconsistent with the findings of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury in 1971. Busch felt the Grand Jury had conducted and arrived at its findings only after an inten- sive hearing conducted under oath, and this hearing included the testimony of members of the Clerk's Office actually involved in the matter. Busch concluded that it was regrettable to him that the Board of Supervisors had provided Ward with the springboard of govern- mental authority ta articulate his previously formed conclusions dating back to his days as a newscaster in 1971. 1975 Report of the Select Committee of the American aAcageny of Forensic sciences This committee, ec-1posed of three members of the American Academy of Forensic Sci-nces; Thomas Johnson, James Osterburg and Ralph F. Turner, stated in a July 2, 1975, report that “legitimate forensic questions in the Robert F. Kennedy case have been raised." Tha rAamm it ken Falt t+rat hana wae mama FRhan « masenanahla nreadi — a2 hiv Neh hliad & Lo iaGVaibk wilak Vhlitl & Wow mw & Mehicils a LVGQwoVWVLIae aw peo. bility that these questions could be answered if there was a new re- examination of the physical evidence in the cise. In reviewing the steps leading to the conmittee’s report, the President of the Academy of Forensic Sciences, Robert J. Jolling, issued a statement that was later incorporated as an affidavit in the petition filed by Paul Schrade for the inspection, examination and testing of the ballistics exhibits (filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court in August, 1975). In his affidavit, Jolling stated that je was currently the President of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Addi- tionally, Jolling is an attorney admitted to the practice of law before the United States Supreme Court as well as in his State of residence, arizona. Jolling acknowledged that he had informally contacted Ralph Turner and asked Turner to serve as the chairman of the Ad Hoc committee which would review the Robert F. Kennedy case. This was early 1975. Jolling was acting im his capacity as President of the American Academy, (and was appointing a select Ad Hoc committee) with Ralph Turner as Chairman. This committee had been formed after a showing of the Ted Charach film, "The Second Gun", at the full session of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences in Chicago. Attending that session, and viewing the film, were panel participants Lowell Bradford, Viiacent Guinn, Godfrey Isaac, Herbert MacDonell, and Thomas Noguchi. ; The Ad Hoc committee reviewed numerous materials that had been under discussion in previous hearings concerning the Sirhan case. The committee recommended that a panel of recognized and qualified persons having expertise in firearms examination and identification be assembled to review the ballistics evidence as well as the trial and Grand Jury transcripts of the Sirhan case. Although not making any formal accusation against the District Attorney's Office or the findings cf the court and jury, the Executive Committee of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences stated in its July 13, 1975, report that such a re-examination of the evidence would be "of value in clarifying the circumstances of ‘he death of Robert Kennedy."