NATION IN BRIEF : MICHIGAN : Father Is Cleared in Newborn’s Death

A father who unhooked his premature baby from a respirator was acquitted of manslaughter in a case that examined the rights of parents in determining treatment for their children. Dr. Gregory Messenger showed little emotion other than a smile when the Lansing, Mich., jury returned its verdict after deliberating for four hours. Messenger acknowledges that he took the 1-pound, 11-ounce boy off the respirator a little more than an hour after he was delivered by Cesarean section on Feb. 8. Messenger and his wife, Traci, feared the child had suffered brain damage.