may 12, 1975 - Gary Lawton acquitted

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Sun-Telegram Staff Writer RIVERSIDE - Gary W. Lawton, 36, was acquitted of the 1971 murder of two Riverside police officers yesterday. A six-man, six-woman jury, which included no black, took three days to arrive at a verdict, something which juries in Lawton's two previous trials had failed to do. An overflow crowd was present in the courtroom of Riverside Superior Court Judge Leo Deegan when the verdict was announced about 4:30 yesterday afternoon. Lawton stood up as the jury foreman read the verdict, and said "thank you" twice to the panel. Afterward, Lawton commented, "I just want to go home to my. children, that's all," when asked

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