Jury Reports Deadlock in Isuzu Libel Case

A federal court jury reported Wednesday that it is deadlocked on several questions in Isuzu Motors’ $244-million trade libel and defamation suit against the publisher of Consumer Reports magazine.

U.S. District Judge Richard A. Paez sent the jurors home for the night and ordered them to return today, when he will take up the issue with lawyers.

The 10-member panel began deliberating on Monday after hearing two months of testimony.

Isuzu, 49% of which is owned by General Motors, has accused the magazine and its nonprofit parent, Consumers Union, of rigging tests to show that the 1995-96 Trooper sports utility vehicle was prone to roll over during emergency lane changes.

In its October 1996 issue and in a series of news conferences, Consumer Reports branded the Trooper as unacceptable and asked the government to order a recall.