Donald Sherman alone was charged with Mr. Turoff in the state indictment.

Two separate state indictments, issued five months apart in 1999, are pending against the troopers.

In 1975, a state indictment accused Mr. Passero and four others of trying to block an investigation by a special grand jury into the drug thefts.

He pleaded not guilty yesterday to a six-count Federal indictment that bears strong similarity to the failed state indictment.

The decision yesterday concerned the eight charges left in what had originally been a 188-count state indictment.

Keating was arrested on Sept. 18 after the Los Angeles district attorney issued a 42-count state indictment against him and three others.

In the state indictment, the two District 27 officials were accused of bribery, coercion and conspiracy.

In 1976 - 19 years after the slaying - a break in the case led to the state indictment of Mr. Alexander and two other men.

He is charged in two separate state indictments with both giving and receiving bribes and has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Although these were spelled out in the state indictment, federal authorities have jurisdiction over any crime that crosses a state line.