The Region - News from Oct. 8, 1985

U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner asked a federal judge to consider issuing contempt citations against the attorneys for accused Soviet spy Richard W. Miller because of statements made in a profile article about them Monday in The Times. Judge David V. Kenyon took no action, however, after he was assured by lawyers Stanley Greenberg and Joel Levine that their statements were made before a March 5 gag order. Bonner also said that if there were similar articles in the closing stages of the trial, he would consider asking Kenyon to sequester the jury. “It’s a rather sad commentary on the responsibility of the Los Angeles Times to run an article on the eve of jury deliberations,” Bonner said, charging that the article portrayed the defense team sympathetically. Calling sequestering a drastic step, Levine replied that there was no showing that the article would unfairly influence jurors. Kenyon responded: “We’re trying to create a fair trial. I suppose the press thinks it is doing its best. It just interferes.”