William Bentley Ball, 83, a nationally known lawyer who championed religious freedom and won a case that helped preserve the Amish way of life, died Sunday in Harrisburg, Pa. His best-known case was Wisconsin vs. Yoder, in which state officials sought to force Amish children to attend public schools until age 16. The early 1970s case set a standard under which the government was required to show a compelling public need behind policies affecting religious groups.
Dr. Gerald Klooster, 72, an Alzheimer's victim who became the subject of a custody dispute after his wife was accused of trying to arrange for him to commit suicide with Dr. Jack Kevorkian's help, died Wednesday in Castro Valley, Calif., apparently of natural causes, the Alameda County coroner's office said.
