Rosa Lopez Testifies

* Prominent Deputy Dist. Atty. Chris Darden takes on a maid with a fourth-grade education, who speaks limited English and succeeds in confusing and humiliating her (March 3-4). The legal profession sinks to a new low.

SANDRA TALLEY

Los Angeles

* Sorry, Johnnie Cochran (March 5), but it’s preposterous for us to believe that you would not have complete information on a key witness, Rosa Lopez, whom you mentioned in your opening arguments; especially from (private investigator) Bill Pavelic, who did the immediate interviews. Of course, he first echoed Carl Douglas’ answer, “We’ve turned everything over to the prosecution,” until seconds later under oath in response to Judge Lance Ito’s same question, he said, “We may have a tape.”

The sad arrogance of the defense team members shows their insulation from reality, where they may in fact believe themselves but most of us just don’t buy it. Obviously, Judge Ito felt the same.

JANET RICHARDSON

Newport Beach

* While steadfastly insisting that she intended to return to El Salvador, Lopez had completed the unemployment forms using the address of her son (March 3).

A huge number of both legal and illegal aliens return to their homeland for extended stays. Do they all, or many of them, draw unemployment while gone?

We must maintain this unemployment insurance program for citizens needing the safety net it provides, but if abuses such as this continue to be common, then the whole system is doomed to failure.

WILLIAM C. THOMAS

Glendale