Judge Deals Blow to McDougal Defense

The judge in Susan McDougal’s trial barred the jury from considering a major part of her defense--that independent counsel Kenneth W. Starr was trying to get her to lie. The jury is permitted to consider her attacks against Starr on the obstruction of justice charge she faces, but not in connection with two charges of criminal contempt, U.S. District Judge George Howard Jr. stated in jury instructions, which will be delivered after closing arguments today in Little Rock, Ark. McDougal maintains that Starr wanted to “get” the Clintons and that she feared he would charge her with perjury if she didn’t say what he wanted.