Emotional Scene : Teen Enters Guilty Plea in S & L Raid

One of two Tarzana teen-agers accused of bank robbery pleaded guilty in Sylmar Juvenile Court Friday to charges of armed bank robbery and auto theft.

Mark Berman, 17, admitted to Judge Burton S. Katz that he stole more than $4,000 from Encino Savings & Loan Assn. on May 23 and took three cars at gunpoint in May in the West San Fernando Valley.

Michael Morrison, 17, Berman’s co-defendant, has not yet entered a plea. Proceedings for Morrison have been postponed until a state Court of Appeal can rule on Katz’s order closing pretrial hearings in his case.

The appeal court allowed proceedings for Berman to resume on the condition that they be open to the public.

Hugs Mother, Father

Berman, who was 16 when he committed the crimes, hugged his tearful mother, father, and two older brothers after entering his pleas. His father, attorney Martin Berman, is acting with attorney Paul Geragos as co-counsel for his son.

Katz, who ruled on Wednesday that Berman should be tried as a juvenile, ordered the youth to appear for sentencing on Sept. 17.

While testifying Tuesday in his own defense at the hearing to determine whether he should be tried as an adult, Berman said he was despondent over his failing grades and stole one of the cars “to impress Mike.”

Berman said Morrison hatched the plan to rob the bank so they could start an ice-cream truck business.

‘Responsible Youngster’

A psychiatrist who testified on Berman’s behalf at the hearing described him as a “responsible youngster” who committed the crimes because he was afraid of losing his friendship with Morrison.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Jerry Bowes said Berman probably will be ordered to serve time in the California Youth Authority, where officials could keep him until the age of 25. Had Berman been ordered tried in adult court, as prosecutors had requested, he could have been sentenced to as much as 12 years and eight months in prison.

But Bowes said a judge in an adult court probably would have sentenced Berman to serve time in the California Youth Authority because of his age.

Because Berman’s case remained in Juvenile Court, Katz’s sentencing options also include ordering him to serve time in a private psychiatric facility or group home, placing him at a county juvenile camp, or sending him home on probation. Bowes said after the plea hearing that the last option is “extremely unlikely” in Berman’s case.

CYA Alternatives

“I think the California Youth Authority is the only possibility in this case” Bowes said. “CYA officials make the determination as to when he would be released. . . . That could be relatively soon or it could be quite a while,” based on how well Berman cooperates with authorities and how he progresses in a rehabilitation program.

“I think he’ll do well,” Bowes said. “I really expect him to.”

Defense attorney Geragos said he plans to propose alternatives to the California Youth Authority when Berman appears for sentencing. Although he declined to specify what those alternatives might be, Geragos acknowledged that he and the youth’s family would be looking at private locked-group homes.

Until then, Berman will remain in custody at Sylmar Juvenile Hall, where he has been since his arrest May 30. Geragos said the youth has not said where he wants to serve his sentence.

“He wants to come home,” Geragos said. “Other than that we haven’t discussed it.”