The State - News from Oct. 10, 1986

The judge in the retrial of Peoples Temple member Larry Layton, accused of conspiracy in the 1978 killing of Rep. Leo Ryan in Guyana, ruled as inadmissible key sections of a tape made by cult leader Jim Jones. The ruling was a setback to the prosecution, led by U.S. Atty. Joseph Russoniello. Government prosecutors wanted Jones’ comments to temple members about politics and the then-imminent arrival of the Ryan party allowed as evidence in order to show that the religious cult had moved into the political arena and may have had a reason to keep details about Jonestown from Ryan. U.S. District Judge Robert Peckham acted after warnings that leaving the sections in could result in a mistrial because prospective jury members had not been questioned about their thoughts on communism. Final jury selection followed Peckham’s ruling in San Francisco Federal Court.