Busy week in the world of June 13, 1993 starting in Washington and President Clinton’s nomination of Stephen Breyer. Summoned from his hospital bed, federal Judge Stephen Breyer met with President Clinton, hoping to become the first justice in a generation named to the Supreme Court by a Democratic president. Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers said Clinton “felt good” about the meeting but Breyer was not offered the job. “There’s been no decision,” she said. Several sources, including key White House officials, said before the meeting that Clinton had settled on Breyer, but wanted to meet with him before finalizing the decision. After Friday’s meeting, Clinton was still leaning toward the Boston jurist, a senior administration official said.
Breyer, nursing broken ribs and a punctured lung suffered in a bicycle accident, ate lunch with Clinton at the White House. Their meeting, which lasted one hour and 40 minutes, was the final exam for the centrist judge and former Harvard Law School professor who survived a vigorous review process to remain on Clinton’s short list as dozens of other candidates fell away. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt was the only other candidate.
In other news – Convicted Sudafed poisoner Joseph Meling tried Tuesday to sell a Judge on his innocence even as he faced life in prison. “I’m innocent of the crimes of which I’ve been convicted. The court can take my life but not my innocence”, were the first words out of the former insurance salesman’s mouth at his sentencing in Seattle. But District Judge Barbara Rothstein didn’t buy it. Rothstein sentenced him to life in prison without parole for putting cyanide in Sudafed. The 1991 tampering nearly killed his wife Jennifer and led to the deaths of two strangers. Meling, 51 was convicted in April of tampering perjury and insurance fraud. He shrugged slightly as Rothstein handed down the sentence but otherwise betrayed little emotion. Rothstein also had to determine the amount of restitution Meling owed his victims including Sudafed manufacturer Burroughs Wellcome Co and the families of those who died. She ordered Meling to pay Burroughs Wellcome L5 million to cover part of the cost of the nationwide Sudafed recall. Proceeds from media deals he might make to tell his story must go toward restitution she said. Jennifer Meling almost died after swallowing a tainted capsule her husband gave her just a week after be took out the last of $870,0000 in insurance on her life. Kathleen Daneker Of Tacoma and Stanley McWhorter of Lacey died weeks later when they took capsules Meling placed on store shelves to make the tampering that sickened his wife look random. The deaths Rothstein said were cold and calculating the equivalent of first-degree murder. “The degree of planning and preparation was extraordinary, detailed and elaborate” she said. When Meling laced the capsules with cyanide and slipped them onto the shelves of Tacoma and Olympia stores he violated the peace of everyone in society. Rothstein; “It was a crime calculated to take advantage of the public’s trust” she said. “We all rely on certain things to be reliable and safe”. Earlier when the Tumwater man addressed a courtroom packed with bystanders he choked back tears I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t” he said “If I’m emotional I’m called theatrical If I’m calm I’m insincere. I’ve been accused and attacked and my natural response is to defend myself”.
And Mia Farrow’s bid to void Woody Allen’s adoption of two children was just another vindictive act by his – former leading lady, the filmmakers lawyer charged as the pair returned to court Wednesday. This is an example of Ms. Farrows continuing efforts to ‘seek revenge, lawyer Elkan Abramowitz said before the ‘closed-door hearing in Surrogates Court. Farrow was claiming Allens secret affair with her oldest adopted daughter constituted a fraud that should nullify the adoptions. Allen, who this week lost his custody battle with Farrow over their three children, was more succinct before the fight began over his adoption of 15-year-old Moses and 7-year-old daughter, Dylan. “Round Two”, the director told reporters at the courthouse. Allen also had harsh words for Farrow’s efforts to further distance him from the children. ‘I can’t let her go through with this and abrogate the adoptions of my children, Allen said. It, would be a terrible thing for me to allow it to happen. It’s a terrible thing for her to try to . do”. On Monday, a judge was highly critical of Allen in awarding Farrow custody of Moses, Dylan and their biological son Satchel. Allen was given limited visitation with Satchel, told to stay away from Dylan for six months, and barred from seeing Moses unless the teen requests it. Farrow had accused Allen of sexually molesting Dylan, but a panel of psychiatrists cleared the filmmaker.
And while President Clinton was readying Congress for Breyer’s confirmation – that’s just a little of what went on this week ending June 13, 1993 as presented by ABC Radio’s World News This Week.
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