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Injury Suit Is Delayed; Newspaper Article Cited

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Citing pretrial publicity, a judge Monday ordered a six-month delay in the trial of a personal injury lawsuit involving a shooting at a Santa Ana restaurant.

Orange County Superior Judge Jack K. Mandel ruled that publication of a story on the trial in The Times’ Orange County editions on Monday made the delay necessary.

Anh Phuc Lam was shot and seriously wounded as she stood in the doorway of the Cafe Lup on North Euclid Street in Santa Ana in 1984. She has argued in the suit that the owner--her sister--should have warned her of danger at the restaurant from gang activity and extortion threats.

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A lawyer for the owner, Yen Lam, responded that Lam frequented the restaurant and was familiar with the dangers of the neighborhood.

Lawyers on both sides of the case said Monday that the shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire nearby during an argument over ownership of a car.

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