The defendant, Robert Daniels, 48 years old, apologized to his family and acknowledged that he had been using drugs for many years.

The seven defendants, 21 to 32 years old, include five Americans, a legal immigrant from Haiti and an illegal Haitian immigrant.

Mr. Murray said today that he had the charges dismissed for the four older defendants and expected to do the same for the minor.

The three older defendants stood in the dock flanked by police officers.

The defendant, Peter Thomas, 54 years old, had pleaded guilty to the abuse charges and was sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison.

Under the old state law, only juvenile defendants 16 or older could be sent to adult court to stand trial.

The 23-year old defendant denied his comments had any racial intent, and was found not guilty.

Clarence Norris, the oldest defendant and the only one sentenced to death, escaped parole and went into hiding in 1946.

As the jurors looked at the 20-year old defendant, Olivia Riner, the prosecutor said, it would be only natural to wonder.

The jury spent nearly the entire day reviewing the first of two videotaped statements by one defendant, Kharey Wise, 18 years old.