Pretrial hearings this week in W.R. Grace criminal trial
Pretrial hearings begin today in the federal courthouse in Missoula, Montana where W.R. Grace and six of its current and former executives will stand trial next month on criminal charges related to the widespread asbestos exposure that has caused so much illness and death in the small town of Libby, Montana.
The charges, brought over four years ago, include allegations that W.R. Grace and its executives knowingly risked the lives of its own mine workers and residents of the nearby town of Libby. Already, 300 to 400 people have died in Libby because of Grace’s mining business. Hundreds more are sick.
Over the next three days, decisions will be made regarding the evidence that will be admissible at trial. In what is commonly called a Daubert hearing, Grace’s attorneys will argue that some evidence against it is not scientifically reliable and should be excluded. The federal judge will review expert testimony and scientific studies to determine whether they are reliable enough to be presented to the jury.
Read more in The Missoulian. You can also read a discussion of the case in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer blog.
