-Caveat Lector- Hit Man Manual Publisher Settles By MARY PEMBERTON .c The Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) -- A publisher agreed Friday to stop selling a book on how to be a hit man and will pay millions of dollars to two families who claimed a hired assassin used the manual to kill their loved ones. Paladin Press of Boulder, Colo., settled a federal lawsuit filed by the family of Mildred Horn and her 8-year-old quadriplegic son, Trevor, and the family of nurse Janice Saunders. The lawsuit, which was scheduled to go to trial next week, accused Paladin Press of providing James Perry with a 130-page blueprint for murder. Perry was convicted of killing the Horns and Ms. Saunders in 1993, a year after ordering the book, ``Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors.'' Perry is on death row. Lawrence T. Horn, Mrs. Horn's ex-husband, was sentenced to life in prison for hiring Perry so he could inherit the $1.7 million estate his son won from a medical malpractice suit. The amount of the settlement, in which Paladin agreed to stop selling its book, was not made public. John Marshall, an attorney for the families, would describe it only as ``a multi-million dollar settlement.'' Paladin lawyer Lee Levine said the recent school shootings in Colorado and Georgia could have made it harder to convince a jury that the book did not cause the murders or substantially help Perry commit them. More than 13,000 copies of the book have been sold since it was first published in 1983. It offers tips for deadly effectiveness, such as shooting victims in the head. Ms. Horn and Ms. Saunders were shot in the eye. Trevor's breathing tube was disconnected. Paladin lawyers claimed the book was intended for a wide audience including crime buffs and mystery writers and said there were few similarities between Perry's crimes and the book. Paladin lawyers said Perry learned what he knew while growing up in a tough Detroit neighborhood. But in 1997, a federal appeals court allowed the lawsuit, saying the book was ``a step-by-step murder manual'' for assassins. The 13,500-member Society of Professional Journalists filed a court brief in support of Paladin Press, saying the suit threatens the right of free speech. ``Unfortunately, the timing for the suit is difficult given our recent experience with the Littleton, Colorado, shooting,'' said Wendy S. Myers, the group's president. And Bob Vanderet, a Los Angeles lawyer who represents movie studios, TV producers and book publishers, said the case is making the entertainment industry nervous. A Louisiana court cited the Paladin case in its decision to uphold a lawsuit against director Oliver Stone and his film ``Natural Born Killers.'' The suit was brought by the family of a convenience store clerk who was shot and paralyzed. DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance�not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
