^ m. gu... w. . it.. Cw.... wt....... .w........Hwie. . 3r .y:: .,.+.. n.Afi.. /° .. .*.. .... ..,: ...,,.,. q. ... ,AM a ., .,., --. ..,.n A Page 10-Wednesday, February 13, 1980-The Michigan Daily Prosecutors rest case in Ford- trial From AP and UPI WINAMAC, Ind. - The prosecution rested its case yesterday in Ford Motor Co.'s reckless homicide trial after a final, unsuccessful at- tempt to introduce what it considered key evidence on auto crash tests. Pulaski Circuit Judge Harold Staffeldt tur- ned down Ford attorney James Neal's request for a directed verdict of acquittal, and the automaker is scheduled to begin presenting its defense today. "I AGREE with the prosecution that there is a question for the jury, and where there is a question for the jury it would be error to do anything other than deny the motion," Staffeldt said. Neal had argued the judge should grant a directed verdict of acquittal on grounds the state had failed to prove its case -the first criminal prosecution of a manufacturer in an auto defects case. Ford is charged with three counts of reckless homicide in the August 1978 burning deaths of three teenagers in a 1973 Pinto sedan that ex- ploded when struck from behind on a northern Indiana highway. THE STATE contends the automaker knew Pinto fuel tanks were subject to explosion in rear-end collisions but did nothing about it. The defense sags the Pinto was no more dangerous, and possibly a little safer, than other subcom- pacts. Before resting his case, chief prosecutor Michael Cosentino again tried to enter as evidence results of crash tests on vehicles other than the 1973 Pinto and on Pintos made before and after 1973. He argued that the tests would reveal a pattern showing Ford knew of defects in the Pinto from the time it first was produced in. 1970 but refused to make modifications to eliminate fire hazards and failed to warn the public. As he has done repeatedly during the six- week trial, Staffeldt ruled those crash tests were irrelevant to the Indiana case. STAFFELDT TOLD lawyers in the case that he had liked both arguments during the 75- minute hearing on the motions. Staffeldt added that it would be in error to- dismiss the case because he would be ruling on the weight of the evidence and credibility testimony - the duty of a jury in a criminal trial. Ford attorney Malcom Wheeler of New York argued the case for the directed verdict during the afternoon hearing. THE FORD attorneys also wanted to throw out parts of the testimony presented by safety design expert Byron Bloch of West Los Angeles, Calif. and that of Mrs. Earl Ulrich, mother of two of the girls who died. . Staffeldt ruled against Ford on Ulrich's testimony about what she would have done with the 1973 Pinto if she had received a recall notice before the Aug. 10, 1978 tragic collision. Ford withdrew motions to stike Bloch's testimony. COSENTINO WAS relieved once Ford's motions were rejected. "I feel much better now after the rulirng than I did this morning," he explained at the post- session interview. Once Neal starts his presentation, Cosentino said he would renew efforts to have some of his documents brought into evidence. "I HOPE some doors open and I hope we can charge right through," he said. Neal said he expected to take the rest of the month to complete Ford's defense. He said he had expected the decision on the motion for directed verdict. The prosecution's final witness, former Ford executive Harley Copp, completed six days of testimony yesterday by saying style came before safety in design of the Pinto. Copp, who was Ford's vice president for European operations and later supervised crash tests in the United States, said the fuel tank on the 1973 Pinto subcompact had an odd shape - similar to a step - because it was designed to fit the pre-determined styling of the car's exterior. "The engineers were left with a minimum of space for the spare tire, fuel tank and luggage compartment," he said. 0 0 mmmmmmmmmmmf Carter asks new plan for nuke waste 0 YOU CAN SAVE 50O ON YOUR LONG DISTANCE CALLS! SEE CHART BELOW t 8 am MON8TUE aWED THU FRI SAT SUN am * U FULL RATE * U 5 pm 5 pm! EVENING DISCOUNT PERIODS EVENING *30% DISCOUNT 31pm: 11mpm NIGHT AND WEEKEND DISCOUNT PERIODS U ** 50% DISCOUNT ! 8 am 8 am j ' During the Evening Discount-Period you pay 30% less than the Day Full Rate Charge for ! direct-dialed calls within Michigan. -During the Night And Weekend Discount Period you pay 50% less than the Day Full Rate ! Charge for direct-dialed calls within Michigan. 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When you want to keep in touch, don't hold back. Reach out the Long Distance way. SMichigan Bell 4 disposal From AP and UP] WASHINGTON - President Carter proposed yesterday the nation's ,first coordinated effort to store nuclear ga bage, planning to spend $700 million examine salt domes and other sites in the South and West as potential radioactive dumps. The president said in a special message to Congress the new strategy is aimed at ensuring the radioactive garbage will pose no significant threat to public health and safety now or for future generations. THE "PLANS include both a per- manent burying ground for radioactiv wastes, mostly from nuclear weapo production, and storage for spent nuclear fuel, from which plutonium and other valgable isotopes could some day be reprocessed. - The president's plan calls for con- tinuing the storage of spent nuclear fuel from the nation's 72 commercial power reactors in water pools at the plant site until -a permanent facility is developed - preferably away from any power plants. But he said he will continue pressing for legislation to build such a storage center away from power plants. Underground rock formations will be sought as permanent repositories for the highly radioactive waste materials. 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