First Kent State Trial Begins; Pickets Defy Ban on Protests

Fifteen sign-carrying protestors yesterday defied an order by a judge in the Kent State trials and demonstrated outside the Portage County, Ohio, courthouse.

Meanwhile, inside the building, jury selection began in the case of Jerry Rupe, the first of 25 indicated student to come to trial. The students are charged with rioting during the May, 1970, disturbance the resulted in the deaths of four students at Kent State University.

Police made no attempt to remove or arrest the demonstrations, some of whom held signs that read "Stop the Trial," "Burn the Indictments," and "Portage County Justice is Sick." Demonstrators threw a few snowballs, but there were no other incidents.

In his order, Edwin W. Jones, Common Pleas Court Judge, declared that picketing, parading, leafletting, demonstrating, passing our handbills, use of a sound truck or bullhorn...with the intent of interesting with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness or court officer, is hereby prohibited."

Jones told the Crimson last night that he took the action "so that the trial could proceed in an orderly fashion."

Decree Questioned

The order was strongly attacked by Joseph A. Rhodes a junior fellow at Harvard, who called it "a very serious breach of constitutional ethic." Rhodes was the only student member of the Scranton Commission, which was established by President Nixon after the Kent State incident to investigate student unrest.

But Jones insisted his order was constitutionally valid, as well as consistent with recent federal statutes. He declined to elaborate, however, adding only that he was being "beseiged" by reporters and had decided to offer so comments.