Pubdate: Sat, 04 Nov 2000 Source: Associated Press Copyright: 2000 Associated Press FED JUDGE ASSIGNED ON LAPD REFORMS LOS ANGELES (AP) -- A federal judge was selected to oversee the implementation of reforms aimed at ending brutality, racial profiling and other alleged abuses by the Los Angeles Police Department. The reform package, agreed to by city and federal officials after weeks of negotiations, is to be implemented by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Feess Jr., who was picked at random Friday. The package includes the appointment of an independent monitor by March who will be charged with overseeing the LAPD for five years to ensure the reforms are carried out. The reforms include improved training for police, an improved computer system to better monitor officers' performance, new controls on the LAPD's anti-gang unit, and a ban on making traffic and pedestrian stops based on race or ethnicity. Feess, 52, was appointed to the federal bench by President Clinton just last year. Since then, however, he has handled the pretrial disposition of nearly 100 lawsuits filed by people who said they were victimized by police in the worst corruption scandal in the city's history. Since the scandal broke last year, more than 100 convictions have been thrown out and 20 officers have left active duty amid accusations that anti-gang officers shot, beat and planted evidence on innocent people, then lied in court to help convict them. The alleged abuses took place in the city's poor, largely minority Rampart section. Four former Rampart officers are on trial for allegedly conspiring to frame innocent people. - --- MAP posted-by: GD