Marine's lawyer rips judge

WASHINGTON Lawyers for Marine Sgt. Clayton Lonetree, convictedof swapping secrets for sex and money as a guard at U.S. embassies inMoscow and Vienna, lashed out Saturday at the military judge as an"animal" and vowed to appeal the guilty verdict to the end.

William Kunstler, Lonetree's chief defense lawyer, said themarine, who was found guilty of espionage by an eight-officercourt-martial jury Friday night, probably would receive a life termwhen the jury sentences him tomorrow.

The 25-year-old Navajo from St. Paul, Minn., the first marine tobe convicted of spying in the 38 years the corps has guardedembassies, was convicted on 13 counts of espionage, conspiracy andfailing to report contacts with Soviet nationals during his two yearsat the Moscow and Vienna embassies.

"We're going to appeal it to the end," Kunstler said in atelephone interview from his New York office. "It's just a shame thata poor, naive kid is going to be socked with a lot of prison time."

Kunstler said that after sentencing he planned to follow twomain avenues of appeal - first to the Navy Court of Military Review.If that failed, he said, he would turn to a civilian appeals court.

He said the process could take up to two years.

Kunstler lashed out at the judge, Navy Capt. Philip Roberts, forblocking some attempts to call defense witnesses.

"The judge was an animal as far as we're concerned," he said."He refused to let in anything that would benefit Lonetree."

The prosecutor, Maj. David Beck, said in his closing argument atthe court-martial at the Quantico, Va., Marine base that Lonetree wasa "traitor to his country" who was motivated by "money, intrigue,sex, ego and ideology" to spy for Moscow.

Kunstler, in his closing statement, argued that Lonetree hadbeen "stupid" and "naive" in his contacts with Soviet citizens buthad tried to act as a double agent in a bungled attempt to trap aSoviet KGB agent known as "Uncle Sasha."

Lonetree admitted having an affair with a Soviet translator atthe Moscow embassy, Violetta Sanni, from January to March, 1986. Itwas Sanni who introduced him to "Uncle Sasha."

Lonetree gave the KGB agent the names of nine U.S. intelligenceoperatives and information including embassy floor plans and was paid$3,500, the prosecutor said.

The defense contended the Soviets already knew the intelligenceoperatives' names.

Lonetree, who was arrested last January, originally was accusedof escorting Soviet agents into the embassy. That charge was droppedafter another marine, Cpl. Arnold Bracy, 21, recanted a statement inwhich he said he had participated in the activity.

Bracy's charges were dropped.

Their arrests prompted a major investigation by the Pentagon andState Department into alleged leaks in Moscow, Leningrad and otherdiplomatic missions.

Two other marines have been charged with fraternizing withSoviet women and one with lying to investigators.