The judge presiding over the case brought against DaimlerChrysler by former Chrysler shareholder Kirk Kerkorian's Tracinda Corp. suspended proceedings yesterday after fresh evidence was discovered by DaimlerChrysler's lawyers. It came from a former Chrysler CFO who had been due to take the witness stand today.

The witness's 61 pages of handwritten notes had not been seen by Tracinda's lawyers until just before midnight on Monday 15 December, following what DaimlerChrysler lawyers described as a mistake. Both sides in the case will be called before the federal judge before the case is resumed.