Jury Finds Klansmen, Nazis Innocent of Murder Charges

of first degree murder and felonious rioting.

The jury in the 96-day trial had deliberated for seven days before announcing its verdict.

Police kept the courtroom under heavy security to prevent any recurrence of the disruptions which had taken place earlier in the trial. State authorities have put police and national guard on alert, but no disorder resulting from the verdict was reported.

"We do not condone the actions of any of the three groups," juryforeman Octavio Mandulay said yesterday, adding, "We regret that this unfortunate thing happened in our city."

Robert Williams, another juror, said the jury did not believe any group had the right "to thrust its political beliefs on the citizens of the United States."

U.S. Justice Department officials said yesterday they would study the verdict and then decide whether to prosecute the defendants under federal civil rights statutes.

During the trial, prosecutors and defense lawyers described contrasting views of the events leading to the shootings.

Each defendant told jurors that shots were fired only after the Communists attacked. Prosecutors said the Klansmen and Nazis came to the rally armed and looking for a fight.

"It was a case of self-defense and we expected the not guilty verdict," defense attorney Robert Cahoon said.

Prosecutors said videotape recordings of the rally, taken by four television stations and admitted as evidence for the first time in North Carolina, showed the Klansmen and Nazis were the aggressors.

Surviving CWP members said the trial was a sham and refused to testify, after earlier attempting to disrupt the proceedings.

The judge told the jurors they could find the defendants acted in self-defense if they believed evidence showed the defendants shot the Communists to protect themselves or if the circumstances led the defendants to believe their lives were in danger.