Chemical Company Is Acquitted in Asbestos Case - NYTimes.com
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/09/us/09grace.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig
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- mik661
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A federal court jury on Friday acquitted the big chemical products company W. R. Grace and three of its former executives on all charges that they had knowingly contaminated the small Montana mining town of Libby with asbestos, then conspired to cover up the deed. Legal experts said the case was an uphill climb for prosecutors almost from the beginning.
Judge Donald W. Molloy refused, for example, to allow the jurors to see some evidence — ruling it overly prejudicial — including memos in which executives talked about the costs of people dying in Libby.
Marshalling the evidence was not the only problem for prosecutors, though. In late April, Judge Molloy denounced the star prosecution witness, Robert H. Locke, in open court, and raised doubts in front of the jurors about the practices of the prosecutors.
Mr. Locke, a former Grace executive, testified that Grace executives knew that asbestos was sickening people and that they actively worked to hide that knowledge. But after his testimony, evidence turned over by the prosecution showed that Mr. Locke had grossly understated on the witness stand how often he had met with prosecutors.
Judge Molloy told the jurors that the government had committed an “inexcusable dereliction of duty” by not providing evidence of that relationship sooner. He ordered the panel not to consider Mr. Locke’s testimony in considering the fate of one defendant, Robert J. Bettacchi, and to use “great skepticism” in evaluating Mr. Locke’s testimony about the case as a whole.
Judge Donald W. Molloy refused, for example, to allow the jurors to see some evidence — ruling it overly prejudicial — including memos in which executives talked about the costs of people dying in Libby.
Marshalling the evidence was not the only problem for prosecutors, though. In late April, Judge Molloy denounced the star prosecution witness, Robert H. Locke, in open court, and raised doubts in front of the jurors about the practices of the prosecutors.
Mr. Locke, a former Grace executive, testified that Grace executives knew that asbestos was sickening people and that they actively worked to hide that knowledge. But after his testimony, evidence turned over by the prosecution showed that Mr. Locke had grossly understated on the witness stand how often he had met with prosecutors.
Judge Molloy told the jurors that the government had committed an “inexcusable dereliction of duty” by not providing evidence of that relationship sooner. He ordered the panel not to consider Mr. Locke’s testimony in considering the fate of one defendant, Robert J. Bettacchi, and to use “great skepticism” in evaluating Mr. Locke’s testimony about the case as a whole.
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Ihatethemall
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No. I doubt you are the only one.
- 3 years ago
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Ihatethemall
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mik661
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Am I the only one who thinks the Judge was bought and paid for?
- 3 years ago
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mik661
