Tuesday, November 18, 1915
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Judge finds Moore mentally
competent to stand trial
PROGRAM'S FATE SPARKS DEBATE
Consumer Center threatened
i
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)-Sara
Jane Moore was declared men-
tally competent yesterday to
stand trial Dec. 15 on a charge
of trying to assassinate Presi-
dent Ford.
U.S. District Court Judge
Samual Conti who had previous-
ly entered an innocent plea for
her, rearraigned Moore and ac-
cepted her plea of innocent.
APPARENTLY UNSWAYED
by a recent appeals court rul-
ing, Judge Conti ordered her
trial to move ahead swiftly and
sternly declared he would tol-
erate no delays in the starting
date.
"I want to make one thing
clear to Moore," the judge said,
"that the trial on this matter
will be held on Dec. 15."
Conti said he based his com-
petence ruling on the reports
of a six - member psychiatric
panel of experts who examined
the 45-year-old defendant.
MOORE LISTENED attentive-
ly to the proceedings and broke
into a broad smile when Judge
Conti declared her competent.
The judge said the doctors
were given copies of a 1954 re-
port on Moore's hospitalization
at Bellevue Hospital in New
York. That report labeled her
"a psychotic," one of the psy-
chiatrists disclosed.
Dr .Walter Menninger of the
Topeka, Kansas, state hospital,
said the doctors additionally
were given copies of reports
on about seven hospitalizations
of Moore for mental illnesses.
BUT MENNINGER and an-
other psychiatrist testified at
Monday's hearing that Miss'
Moore, a middle-aged bookkeep-
er and onetime surburban house-
wife who became an FBI in-
former, was an aware, intelli-
gent woman capable of aiding
in her defense.
"She was keenly aware of
what it was all about," Men-
ninger said in a report to the
judge on his examinations.
Another doctor's report read
aloud by the judge said, "Her
memory is excellent and she has
above-average intelligence."
ALL OF THE DOCTORS said
the Bellevue report did not
change their opinions of Moore.
"On the basis of my examina-
tion, she does have a reason-
able understanding of the charg-
es against her and is able to
assist her counsel," Menninger
said.
However, he said his opinions
do not judge whether she was
mentally competent when she
allegedly took a shot at Ford
outside the St. Francis Hotel
on Sept. 21.
SHE WAS THE SECOND wom-
an charged in an attempt on
the President's life in Septem-
ber. Lynette "Squeaky" From-
me, on trial in Sacramento, was
arrested Sept. 5 and became
the first person charged under a
federal law enacted after the
1963 assassination of President
John F. Kennedy. Moore is
charged under the same law.
Moore smiled and nodded at
Menninger and at Dr. Robert
Eardley as they took the wit-
ness stand. Eardley, of the
Springfield, Mo., medical facili-
ty, also concluded Moore was
competent.
But Menninger told a news
conference later that the prison
setting of her examinations may
have helped her condition.
"IT'S FAIR TO STATE that
when one is put into a setting
such as a prison and removed
from a lot of troubling stimuli,
one might settle down," he said.
"I don't think the mood in a
prison would be the same as
By DANA BAUMANN
A controversy is brewing over
the proposed elimination of the
Washtenaw County Consumer
Action Center (CAC).
Because of a budgetary
crunch, two of CAC's three offi-
cials would lose their jobs and
the remaining member - the
consumer affairs investigator -
would be placed under the De-
partment of Weights and Meas-
ures.
"I AM CHIEFLY concerned
wth how complaints will be tak-
en under the new system and
with the use of the volunteer
staff who must operate under
careful supervision," said John
Knapp, CAC director. "I'm
afraid that if they go through
with this plan, mediation may
be cut out altogether."
Director of Weights and Meas-
ures Robert Harter has sent a
letter to County Commissioners
Meri Lou Murray and Catherine
McClary asserting that his of-
fice is capable of handling con-
sumer affairs.
The letter, reviewed by the
County Board of Commissioners,
denied charges that merging the
offices would limit consumer
protection to merely "the test-
ing of gasoline pumps and oth-
er devices."
THE BOARD originally plan-
ned to include consumer action
under Harter's direction in 1973.
They were forced to place it increase over 1975.{
instead under Delhey's office, "Speculating on the projected
because the federal grant they budget, the additional money
received for the project was, should just about cover the sal-
specifically earmarked for use ary, travelling expenses and in-
by a law enforcement agency. cidental expenses of the investi-
Supporters of placing consum- gator," said Harter.
er affairs within the jurisdiction HARTER SAID that consumer
of Weights and Measures con-eHatEnwAd thtmosmer
tend that the move would not education would be most serious-
hinder county actions on behalf ly affected by fund shortages,
of consumers. and that the amount of media-
of ction would be greatly reduced.
"All operations will continue The Ways and Means Commit-
as usual, only in a different of- tee will meet on Nov. 19 to
fice and under different super- adopt or reject the proposed
vision," said McClary. "We feel budget. A public hearing is
it will be a far more efficient scheduled for Dec. 4 at 7 p.m.
way of handling consumer af- in the County Building where
fairs. All questions and com- ! _ _______
plaints about any consumer
matter will be handled through COUPLES WEEKEND
one office.''"
the proposal will be open to pub-
lic discussion.
Last June the various county
departments were asked to pro-
pose how their program costs
could be reduced in the event
of a 5, 10, or 20 per cent re-
duction in allocations. Delhey
initially proposed reduction in
staff size for the CAC for a'
five per cent cut, and suggested
the complete elimination of the
office in the event of a ten per:
cent reduction.
ECONO-CAR
438 W. HURON
ANN ARBOR
ALL TYPES of
AUTOS TO RENT,
Including a
LUXURY LIMOUSINE
663-2033
You Must Be 21
Moore
when the person committed the
alleged offense."
After Judge Conti declared her
competent, Moore and her attor-
ney, public defender James He-
witt, stood before the bench
and he entered her plea of in-
nocent. Conti then set the trial
date.
Despite the judge's adamant
order that proceedings begin
Dec. 15, Hewitt said he would
ask at a hearing Tuesday for
a continuance. He has said there
is not sufficient time to prepare
for trial.
MURRAY EXPLAINED thati
the CAC was an early victim
of budget cuts because it was
not statutory in nature and
therefore had low priority in
fund consideration.
The 1976 General Fund Budg-
et Proposal, issued by the Budg-
et Subcommittee, listed the pro-
jected appropriation for Con-
sumer Services - Weights and
Measures as $51,129, a $15,187
WORKSHOP
Dec. 5, 6, & 7
RELATIONSHIP-
TRUST-
AUTONOMY ISSUES
RICHARD KEMPTER
662-4826 (evenings)
ANN WRIGHT
426-2735 (mornings)
THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE
WRITERS-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM
PRESENTS A READING BY
ARTURO VIVANTE
Noted Short Story Writer for THE NEW YORKER
Wednesday, Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m.
in BENZINGER LIBRARY
(Ist floor East Quad, E. Univ. btw. Hill and Willard)
THE PUBLIC IS CORDIALLY INVITED
STEVE'S LUNCH
1313 SO. UNIVERSITY
HOME COOKING IS OUR SPECIALTY
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311 S. STATE STREET
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