31.   The judge, Leonard B. Sand, refused to accept the plea.

32.   The judge added that he had decided to accept the plea because it would eliminate the need for a long, complex trial and possibly years of appeals.

33.   The plea was accepted.

34.   The only reason Wiita accepted the plea was to avoid the publicity and stress of a trial, Lubin said.

35.   The plea was accepted by Judge Katharine Hayden, who also accepted guilty pleas from the other suspects in the case.

36.   A High Court judge will decide Thursday whether to accept her plea.

37.   But a judge accepted his plea Friday for misdemeanor petty theft in connection with a department store scam last month.

38.   But if a judge accepts the plea, Tyson would be sentenced as if he pleaded guilty.

39.   District justices cannot accept pleas to a charge of corruption of minors, which is considered a first-degree misdemeanor.

40.   District Attorney Donald Williams Jr. said he accepted the plea because it was the top count in the indictment.