Defense attorneys in the trial of Brian...

Defense attorneys in the trial of Brian Tribble opened their case with two witnesses, then abruptly asked for a recess after a problem arose concerning their next witness. Tribble is accused of providing Len Bias, University of Maryland basketball player, with the cocaine that killed him last June.

The defense opened its case by calling Sherry Hursey, a friend of Tribble, who said she saw Bias and Tribble at Tribble’s apartment before midnight of June 18 and that both men took her home around 1 a.m.

Then, District of Columbia police officer Johnnie Walker testified that he saw no trace of cocaine in Bias’ car when he searched the vehicle hours after the athlete’s death.

A subsequent police search of the car turned up several grams of cocaine, including a small bag behind the dashboard and some flakes on the floor. The prosecution alleges that the drug was put in the car by Tribble shortly after Bias’ death.

James Wiseman, an investigator for the state’s attorney’s office, was to have been the third witness. But after a long bench argument, court was recessed when Judge James M. Rea told the jurors that the defense had run out of witnesses for the day.