4 GUARDS ACQUITTED IN PRISON RAPE CASE

They were accused of setting up a sexual attack on an inmate
at Corcoran.

HANFORD-Four guards at one of California's most dangerous prisons were
acquitted Monday of setting up the rape of a prisoner by leaving him
in the cell of a known sexual predator.

The prosecution argued that the Corcoran State Prison guards set up
the rape of Eddie Dillard over two days in March 1993 to punish him
for kicking a female guard at another prison.

Wayne Robertson said Dillard was hand-delivered to him after he gave
one of the guards a short list of would-be victims. But defense
lawyers told jurors that Robertson and Dillard were convicted felons
with histories of violent behavior who weren't above lying to build a
case against the guards.

The jury returned not-guilty verdicts for all four guards, who were
indicted last year on charges of aiding and abetting sodomy in concert.

Sgts. Robert Decker, 41, and Dale Brakebill, 34, and officers Anthony
Sylva, 36, and Joe Sanchez, 38, had faced up to nine years in prison.

"We are vindicated today," shouted a jubilant Brakebill outside the
Kings County Superior Court. "I'm very proud of those people that they
could say 'enough is enough' and let these guys get on with their lives."

The small courtroom exploded with applause and shouts of joy from the
guards' families as the jury foreman read the verdicts. Each guard
embraced his lawyer with obvious relief.

The guards were accused of leaving the 118-pound Dillard in the cell
of Wayne Jerome Robertson, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound convicted murderer
known as the "Booty Bandit," to "teach him how to do his time."

Outside the courthouse, Deputy Attorney General Vern Pierson said it
was a difficult case to build, since he depended on getting
information from secretive prison guards and relied on testimony from
dangerous criminals.

Dillard is also involved in a civil suit against the guards, expected
to begin early next year.

Corcoran was the nation's most deadly prison from 1989 to 1995, when
43 inmates were wounded and seven shot to death by guards.

Eight other Corcoran guards await trial on federal charges of staging
gladiator-style fights by putting rival gang members in the exercise
yard at the same time.