Judge drops protesters’ charges
NEW YORK — A judge today
dismissed charges against the
1,166 people who were arrested
during daily civil disobedience
demonstrations over the police
killing of an unarmed immi
grant.
Amadou Diallo, a street vendor
from Guinea, was killed Feb. 4
outside his Bronx apartment
when four police officers looking
for a rapist fired 41 shots and
struck him 19 times.
Among those arrested during
the demonstrations outside po
lice headquarters were the Rev.
Jesse Jackson, former Mayor
David Dinkins, NAACP Presi
dent Kweisi Mfume and actors
Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee and Susan
Sarandon.
Manhattan Criminal Court
Judge A. Kirke Bartley Jr. dis
missed the various charges to
day at the request of Manhattan
District Attorney Robert Mor
genthau. None of the defen
dants appeared before the
court.
The four officers involved in
the shooting have been indicted
on charges of second-degree mur
der.
The parents of Diallo, a Mus
lim, met with Roman Catholic
Cardinal John O’Connor on Tues
day to discuss ways to mend the
rifts that have split the city since
their son’s death.
“He’s very good, and he gave
us a blessing,’’ said Diallo’s
mother, Kadiadou Diallo, visit
ing from Guinea for the second
time since her son’s killing. “I
feel that he’s someone spiritual
who’s bringing people togeth
er.”
The Associated Press
Taxes
Continued from Page 1
“Don’t try to do it yourself the
first time.”
The forms really aren’t that
clear, he said. And the questions
of whether a student’s parents are
claiming the student as a depen
dent and actually are getting the
return can be confusing.
For the most part, students
don’t get much of a tax break just
for being students, he said. But
some can benefit from their hard
work.
“If you are paying for your own
education, that counts as a tax
credit,” he said. That counts as
an out-of-pocket expense for tu
ition and books.
But unless you are aware of
these exceptions, you should
seek the help of someone who is
aware of all the new tax laws,
Nelson said.
“Those people know what you
need to do and look for and will
help you get the basic format
down, so in future years you can
do it yourself,” he said. “Filing
taxes is fairly simple, but without
knowing the format, it can be in
timidating.”
Some students who receive
scholarships may be required to
include information about their
financial aid when they file.
Some scholarships can be tax
able, Nelson said.
Any scholarship money left af
ter paying tuition and school ex
penses has to be claimed as in
come, he said. Grants, however,
do not have to be claimed. Again,
everything depends on the situa
tion and the type of scholarship,
he said.
Out-of-state students working
in Oregon have to file taxes in
here and in their home states,
Nelson said.
“That happens quite regular
ly,” he said. “And state returns
are much more difficult than the
federal return.”
All states have different tax
laws, which makes it difficult to
file in two states at the same
time, he said.
As taxes tend to be so confus
ing, many students may not be
able to get their returns in by the
April 15 deadline. For those peo
ple, the IRS will grant extensions
— for a fee.
“Any extension will give you
additional time to file your re
turn, not additional time to pay
your taxes,” Nelson said. At the
end of the extension, people
must file and pay what they owe,
he said.
Of course, people are expected
to pay taxes when they file on
April 15, but if people cannot af
ford the fee, they can set up a
payment plan with the IRS. In
this instance, taxpayers will not
be charged a late penalty but will
be charged interest on payments.
If taxpayers cannot afford to
pay their taxes all at once when
they file, Nelson suggested get
ting a loan from a bank because
the loan will probably have a
lower interest rate than the IRS.
The late fee is a set fee and is
currently about $100, he said.
Overall, Nelson urged students
not to panic about paying taxes.
“The IRS is much nicer than
most people think as long as you
are willing to work with them,”
he said. “They’re more than will
ing to try and make things work
for you.”
Felicity Ayles can be reached via e-mail
atfizzeb@gladsUme.uoregpn.edu.
Today’s Events
Thursday, April 8
John Reynolds will he giving a lecture at the Solar Information Center, 219
Pacific Hall, from 6 to 10 p.m.
The Multicultural Center will be hosting an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. In
Suite 33 in the basement of the EMU to celebrate the MCC and provide an op
portunity for students to learn howto get involved.
LMVI-KSI I 'I
ril 9,10,
16,17,
8 PM
Benefit'MdHnee
April IS- 2 PM
Counseling Program
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Sale items limited to stock on hand at the downtown store oply All sales are final.
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Thursday, April 8,1999 Oregon Daily Emerald 7