SAN FRANCISCO -- Robert Cato, the former policeman accused of ramming his van into the taxi carrying actresses Mary Martin and Janet Gaynor, pleaded innocent today to manslaughter charges for the death of Miss Martin's companion.
Bail for Cato, 36, was raised from $3,500 to $10,000 but he was given until Wednesday to raise money.
He was charged with vehicular manslaughter for the death of Ben Washer, 76. Charges of felony drunken driving and reckless driving were also lodged as a result of the Sunday night accident.
Cato, who faces a possible three-year prison term if convicted, also was required to turn in his driver's license to the municipal court judge.
Miss Martin, who was transferred from the intensive care unit of San Francisco General Hospital Thursday, was reported in good condition today.
Miss Gaynor's condition remained serious, while her husband, Paul Gregory, 76, was listed in good condition.
Miss Gaynor, 77, who won the first Academy Award for best actress for the silent film 'Seventh Heaven,' and was one of a handful of starlets to make the transition from silent films to talkies, was reported in serious condition in the intensive care ward Thursday.
She suffered a broken pelvis and fractured ribs. Her husband, Paul Gregory, who suffered less serious injuries, was in good condition.
Officials at San Francisco General Hospital also said Miss Martin, 67, best known for her Broadway roles in 'Peter Pan' and 'South Pacific,' was in good condition with a fractured rib and pelvic injury. She was transferred out of the intensive care unit Thursday.
'She was out of bed and sitting up,' a spokeswoman said, adding she was scheduled to be transferred out of the intensive care unit.
Last October Cato, who was only slightly hurt when his borrowed van smashed into the side of the cab, was accused of using his car as a deadly weapon against a woman motorist who he argued with over a parking spot.
Although he was charged with two felonies for that incident, the judge hearing the case placed Cato on informal probation and subsequently the charges were dropped.
Assistant District Attorney Jerry Koeling said his office vigorously opposed Cato's placement in the public service work program where he spent 10 hours with Community United Against Violence, an organization that teaches self-defense to homosexual men and women.
'We fought it tooth and nail,' Koeling said. 'Not only did we oppose it, but his victim even wrote the project opposing it.'
Mellicent Wauters, 30, a dental assistant and amateur actress, said Cato tried to run her down after the shouting match.
'I was really frightened. I kept saying 'Please, leave me alone,'' she recalled.
Koeling said the incident 'clearly involved extreme violence,' and Cato should have been dealt with more seriously.
But Cato's attorney said he had no criminal record and was a perfect candidate for the diversion program.
