Cop-Killing CU Bandit Stuns Retrial WithNo Contest Plea

WAUKESHA, Wis. - (05/06/05) -- A man convicted a decade ago of acrime spree that included two credit union robberies and ended inthe murder of a police officer surprised the court and his ownlawyers as his retrial began Thursday by pleading no contest to thecharges and asking to proceed immediately to a criminal insanitydefense. Ted Oswald, now 29, made the announcement as the judgeruled he could not introduce his insanity defense in the firstphase of his retrial, prompting Oswald to insist on proceedingdirectly to a second phase to prove that a mental disorder causedhis participation with his father in the crime spree. Oswald'sfather, now 60 and serving a life sentence for his role, isexpected to be called as a witness in his son's retrial. The fatherand son were convicted in 1995 of a string of crimes that includedarmed robberies at Medical Systems CU, in Waukesha, and LandmarkCU, in Brookfield, in December 1993, then a robbery at Bank One,after which Waukesha Police Capt. James Lutz was shot dead. Oswald,who was 19 at the time of his conviction, was granted a new trialin 2003 when a state appeals court found juror bias tainted histrial.