Judge Admonishes Agnew Case Jury On Media Biases

A U.S. District Court judge yesterday warned the Baltimore federal grand jury investigating Vice President Agnew to disregard news stories involving the inquiry because they are unreliable.

Judge Walter E. Hoffman--who is handling all aspects of the Agnew probe--lectured the jurors on their responsibilities in investigating crimes against the United States no matter whom they involve, and cautioned them to ignore press accounts of the case because they "frequently are wholly or partially inaccurate."

He summoned the jury to the extraordinary 18-minute public hearing after meeting privately for an hour and a half with Agnew attorneys and the Justice Department.

Hoffman told the jurors that news reporters "are an integral and necessary part of our lives" yet sometimes stray from the truth.

The lecture by the Virginia judge--who was brought into the case after all nine federal judges in Maryland disqualified themselves citing their friendships with Agnew--also included a warning to the jurors to keep their work secret even after it has been completed and a directive to disregard personal views in the interest of justice.

Agnew has repeatedly denounced news leaks regarding the investigation and has frequently attributed them to Justice Department sources.

Agnew has labeled published allegations that he conspired to extort bribes from contractors, sometimes under the guise of political campaign contributions as "damn lies."

At his press conference yesterday, President Nixon said that he has been briefed on the investigation of the vice president and that the allegations against Agnew "are serious and not frivolous.