1..0 Franchot Gre n
Collins, who is white, handed
his father the gun th t Robert
Collins Sr., 44, used June 18 to
kill a black man who w threat
ening white patrons of an all
night Muskegon diner.
The younger Collins wept
while he was sentenced. His fa
ther f ces a similar weapons
charge.
Louis Franchot Green, 20,
and four black companions re
peatedly threatened to rape and
shoot white patrons at the restau
rant, police said. The younger
Collins went home at his father's
request andbrought the gun back,
authorities said, and he did not
call police.
County Prosecutor Tony
Tague said Green's death was
"justifiable homicide" because
Green claimed he was armed.
No gun was found.
The judge sided with Tague.
"There can be no question ...
that Mr. Green's activities that
evening were totally inappropri
ate in a civilized society,"
Pannucci said. "The only word
that comes into my mind is 'ter
rorist'.
The prosecutor in this county
made a very difficult decision ..
But there was no question that
. the taking of a human life under
these circumstances was Justi
fied."
Collins declined comment as
he walked from the courtroom.
Green's parents were not present,
but several black community
leaders called Pannucci's sen
tence a mockery.
Bill Gill
"This man was no terrorist,"
said Bishop William Burrel, pas
tor of Christ Temple Apostolic
Faith Church. "It's clear the judge
made up his mind.that the shoot
ing was justified."
Bill Gill, president of the lo
cal chapter of th N ational Asso
ciation for the Advancement of
Colored People and Muskegon
County commissioner, said he
has yet to decide what to do.
"A man was murdered in cold
blood, and we have prosecutor
who does not want to make the
charges what they hould be," he
said. "We going to make
people take notice for the mur
der-notthed th-ofGreen."
�nacuuwho �'
1 ad into mainstream politics.
"Louisi ah DavidDuk ,"
. d Thorn Robb, grand wizard 0 the
Knigh 0 th u Klux Klan." e
plan to giv Am 'ca a tho d of
them."
and
"lf you're person ho ants to
e om kind of leadership posi
tion and you've got bad t th, g t
your teeth fixed." '
00 -rimmed
in northern Ark into
Klan camp. About 200 Klansman
gathered there in October for th
KKK Congress, which Robb nor
mally owc in Pulaski, Tenn.
He wants to build donnitory to
house students duringsummerclmp,
Several cabins will be built for Klan
D Y WELCH, director of
Klanw chinMontgomery, Ala., id
Duke helped begin th group's main
stream makeover during his leader
ship. Robb is providing more win-
Justice Conrad Malle t
on As i, ted uicid
Legislature, not court
should decide
experience a erio economic
downturn," aid th report by the
e Yark-b group.
TheADLestima Robb' group
h about 100 mem who pay the
$25 annual d
By KHRISnNE FLORANTE
DUKE W grand wizard of the
Knigh for about five ye until h
left the Klan in 1980.
Robb . d he doesn't ark with
Duke, a Republican te representa-
It's almo t that time of year! And the City of Detroit' Personnel Department getting ready for hri tmas.
Detroit Personnel Department employees, Caryl William (left) and TIna T rtt (right) arrang a handful of
the 2,000 doll entered in the City' annual Goodfellow Doll Conte t. The contest is part of the annual
Goodfellow fund, which provides needy children with a Christma packa that include clothing, candy and
a toy. eventy-flve of the doll will be judged in the overall Goodfellow doll contest later in November. The
dolls were dre ed by City of Detroit employee, .
Returning deposit bottles
By Michael Daisy
SpeciIJl to t� Michigan Citizell
tive merchant. That's where a good
understanding of the law can come in
handy.
For starters, containers do not
have to be returned to the original
place of purchase. As long as the
bottles and cans are relatively clean
(containing only traces of the origi
nal beverage) and are of the brand,
type and size normally carried by
merchant require a minimwn pur
chase as a condition for' ccepting
returns.
That is the law. But a big qu -
tion remains:
What happens when you've
been victimized by a violation of
the lav.:?
A provision of the bottle law
leaves its enforcement in the hands
of the Attorney General's
office in Lansing. That can
be impr ctical, not to men
tion time-consuming. There
is help closer to home.
If you live in Detroit or
have a complaint against a
Detroit merchant, you Can
file th complaint with a
Consumer Affairs Depart
ment by calling (313)224-
6995. Others can contact
the Better Busin Bureau
of Detroit and E ter Michi
gan in Southfield at
(313)644-9100.
LANS1NO - The Legislature, not
th coerts, m decide Vi or
not assisted uicide is legal, accord
ing to a Michigan Suprem Court
justice.
Justice Conrad Mallett Jr. laid he
won't make such a moral decision for
anyone else but himself. That ques
tion must be answered by state law
makers, Mallett said.
"I don't know the answer. I defer
to the people of the state of Michi
gan," Mallett said.
Mallett called for a legislative
... the subject involves complex
issues that need more study ... a
commission could decide whether
there are appropriate instances
for assisted suicide ..
examination of the issue.
The House and Senate are doing
just that. A House subcommittee of
the Judiciary Committee is examin
ing three bills on assisted suicide.
Two of the measures would make it
illegal. Sen. Frederick P. Dillingham,
R-Fowlerville, is sponsoring the bill
that passed the Senate in March.
Rep. Nick Ciaramitaro, D-Roseville,
is sponsoring an identical bill in the
House.
A third measure sponsored by
Rep. Thomas Power, R- Traverse
City, would set up a commission of
advocates on both sides to study the
i ue and report back to the Legisla
ture. The commission would make
recommendations to the Legislature
within ix months or year.
"We're trying to ccomplish two
things," Dillingham sid. "One, to
make isted suicide illegal. Two,
to provide a means of prosecution.
We're trying to clear up what is a gray
area in the law."
Dillingham' propo al would
make as isted uicide felony pun
i hable by four years in pri n or a
fine of up to $2,000. Currently, a
first-degree murder conviction which
calls for life in prison d not fit th
situation, Dillingham aid.
Sen. Paul artner, R-Portage,
voted for the bill and aid he does not
think anyo should help anyon
else commit uicid .
An all-too-common complaint' .
against independent grocery and
party stores involves the accep
tance of empty bottles and cans
returned for deposit refunds.
Most people are aware that
bottle deposits are a requirement
of state law. Unfortunately,
few people know more than
that. Hopefully, after read
ing this article, you'll un
derstand more about your
rights under the Michigan
law that has been in effect
since 1978.
. .. the law requires the
merchant to payoff de-.
posits in cash. You can
not be forced to accept a
credit or spend your re
fund money in the store.
THE MICHIGAN
Bottle Deposit law (MCLA
445.751) requires mer
chants to charge a deposit
of five to 20 cents per con-
tainer on the purchase of beer,
soft drinks, wine coolers and spirit
cooler . No deposit i required on
wine, liquor, fruit juice or other
non-carbonated beverages, or
drinks purchased fran vendingma
chin or otherwise m ant to be
conswned on the immediate pre
mises.
Most store owners comply with
the law. Most of us, however, know
t Ie t One person who h h d a
run-in with I -than-coopera-
that tore, the m chant must ccept
up to $25 in returns.
While the merchant can refuse to
ccept dirty, broken or out -of - tate
contain ,he cannot r (us d nted
or <rushed cans.
Finally, th law requires th m -
chant to payoff deposits in cash. You
cannot be forced to ccept a credit or
spend you refund mon y in the ore.
Neither can the tore refuse to ccept
returns after a certain hour, nor can a
IF ALL ELSE FAll.S, you
can pursue your complaint ind -
pend ntly in Small Claim Court.
Another tat law will prove use
ful th reo
A_provision of the Michigan
Consumer Protection Act (MCLA
445.901) a110 you to file uit in
court for your actual damag or
250, which ver i gre
•
•
"Any counseling at all hould be
againstthe ct. Peopleneedcounsel
ing, not somebody who is wiDing to •
h Ip them commit uicid ," W II1n
id.
Jim Goethals, president of th St. ,
Joseph County Right To Life, aid ,
the organization favors th bill out
lawing isted suicide. Geothals,
wh chapter has about 3,000 mem- .
hers, said it is form of killing that
should never be an avaiable solution�
Power said the subject involves
complex issu that need more study.
Power aid a commi ion could de
cide whether there are appropriate
instances for assisted suicide.
"I would like to have the right to .
have a physician give me bottle -of ;
pills at the right time," POwer said."
I don't bow if I would use it but I
would like to reserve the right to
check out in dignified way."
JoanneZelder president of Hem
lock of Southwest Michigan, said the
chapter favors Power's bill because it .
does not flatly ban assisted suicide.
Zelder, whose chapter has a mem- (
bership of about 100, said the whole '
area is new. and needs to be thousht
out.
"We h ve lots to learn," Zelder :
said. "I'm not sure there are any easy ,
answers but it is an issue that needs
thoughtful discussion."
JANET GOOD, president of
Hemlock of Michigan, aid the pro
posed commission would require ·
doctors to take an offieial position .
and would help lessen the amount of
publicity on isted uieide.
"I believe we should have phy i
cian-assi ted aid in dying. It' ob
scene that we should be allowing
dying to be prolonged. I believe the
right to die is the ultirn te civil right,"
Good, aid.
The deb on . ted uicide
h created nationwide controversy
because Dr. Jack Kevorkian, a re
tired Michigan pathologist, helped
three women conmit uicide in 0 -
land Countywithdevicesheinv ed.