March 13, 2009  
ASBESTOS LITIGATION: Trial to March 9 W.R. Grace Suit Delayed

A juror's illness delayed the trial to an asbestos-related case
involving W. R. Grace & Co. that was scheduled on March 9, 2009,
The Associated Press reports.

With the jury absent, defense lawyers sought to exclude the
expert testimony of another government witness.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy excused jurors for the morning
to determine if an alternate juror would need to be selected.
However, he told lawyers to meet back in the courtroom after
lunch, the Missoulian newspaper reported on its Web site.

Grace and five individual defendants filed a motion on March 8,
2009 to exclude the expert testimony of Dr. Aubrey Miller, an
investigator with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a
key witness for the prosecution.

The defense was successful earlier in limiting the testimony of
another key witness, Paul Peronard, who served as the EPA's
onsite coordinator in Libby after the town's asbestos
contamination came to light a decade ago.

Grace's lawyers said Dr. Miller, as with Mr. Peronard, should
not be allowed to discuss issues of public endangerment because
"it does not fit the legal issue that the Government hopes to
prove through its introduction at trial" -- that the defendants
placed others in imminent danger by causing releases of asbestos
into the air after Nov. 3, 1999, the Missoulian reported.

Grace and five of its one-time officials are charged with a
federal conspiracy involving Clean Air Act violations and
obstruction of justice.
return to main page

   
   
   
   
   
   

 


Lloyd's Asbestos Litigation Reporter is a weekly newsletter distributed every Friday co-published by Bankruptcy Creditors' Service, Inc., Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, USA, and Beard Group, Inc., Frederick, Maryland, USA.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. ISSN: 1945-4694.

This material is copyrighted and any commercial use, resale or publication in any form (including e-mail forwarding, electronic re-mailing and photocopying) is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the publishers. Information contained herein is obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.

The Lloyd's Asbestos Litigation Reporter subscription rate is $575 for six months delivered via e-mail. Additional e-mail subscriptions for members of the same firm for the term of the initial subscription or balance thereof, are $25 each. For subscription information, contact Christopher Beard at 240/629-3300 ext 1.