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Chicago Sun-Tirnes, Thursday, November 15, 1979 05 Panther lawyers hit judge's letters By James Warren. For example, in an April 23, 1976, letter marked "confiden tial," Perry responded to a request by Kocoras for information . Citing newly released aocuments, Black Panther lawyers concerning the conduct of the lawyers and several Federal Bu- Wednesday charged that improper correspondence between reau of Investigation agents. the trial judge and top federal olficials suggest an early at- The judge concluded that thie lawyers and agents "have re- -tempt to "whitewash" 'their celebrated case. presented all of the present and former FBi agents and the In a motion filed in U.s. Court of Appea!s, the lawyers seek former informant for the FBI in the highest tradition of the " a new hearing on allegations that the gdvernment hid key evi- Bar. They are to be commended for their conduct in a most dence and esk for disciplinary measures against U.S. District difficult case." Court Senior Judge Joseph Sam Perry. The same day,Perry sent another letter marked "confiden- Last April, a three-member appeals panel reinstated the tial' to Levi. He enclosed his letter to Kocoras and again con- ciuded that the lawyers and agents "should be commpiimented Fowng multimillion-dollar civil suit against former Cook County State's Atly. Edward V.Hanrahan and others, including the for their standard.of conduct in the case." FBI, who conducted the 1969 raid in which Panthers Fred The Panther lawyers' motion states: "These faise and glow- Hampton and Mark Clark were killed. ing determinations of the good faith of the defendants and During the originai trial the Panther lawyers had moved for their attorneys were, of course, precisely what he ultimately a mistrial, citing massive withholding of evidence. Perry ruled a year later os the motion for sanctions, which. was turned then down but said he would consider the matter at pending before him when he wrote these letters.' trial's end. Perry declined comment, and Levy, Kocoras and Skinner The new documents,procured under Freedom of Informa- could not be reached. tion Act requests, indicate that while that issue was pending, ' correspondence took place between Perry, then-U.s. Atty. .Gen.Edward H. Levi and Charles P.Kocoras top assistant to .then-U.S. Atty. Samuel K. Skinner. The letters reveal that a year hefore he actually ruled, Perry essentially told Levi, Skinner and Kocoras-the officials asked to investigate charges of improper conduct by government lawyers-that he would rule in their favor. 4450 3-A4o6 SEARCHTD INDEXED SERIALEDS5ZL (0:1 179 FI-CHCAGO