Lawyers Step Up Effort to Oust Kamins as King Case Judge
Lawyers for four policemen charged in the beating of motorist Rodney G. King escalated their attack on the trial judge Friday, telling an appeals court he would “do judicial back flips” to win public favor.
The attorneys are trying to remove Superior Court Judge Bernard Kamins from the highly publicized case, alleging he is biased for the prosecution. “He had consistently acted out of a heightened and overly concerned sensitivity to press statements that were critical of him,” said the brief filed for all defendants with the Second District Court of Appeal.
The appeal court has ordered that the volatile trial be moved out of Los Angeles, but selection of a new trial site must await the decision on Kamins.
The four policemen, Sgt. Stacey C. Koon and Officers Laurence M. Powell, Timothy E. Wind and Theodore J. Briseno, are charged with assault under color of authority and offenses related to the March 3 beating of King.
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