UM Grace Case

MISSOULA (May 18, 2009) –  Not guilty.
To Danielle Bundrock, a University of Montana senior, the verdicts sounded a lot like, “No justice.”
The pain at the center of the W.R Grace trial is fresh for her. Her step-grandpa died on Easter in Libby from lung cancer due to asbestos exposure. Another 13 members of her family [...]

After a three-month trial, jurors deliberated for just one full day before acquitting W.R. Grace Co. and three of its executives Friday of all criminal charges.
The company and executives were accused of knowingly exposing residents and mine workers to toxic asbestos, a byproduct of the company’s vermiculite mine in Libby, Mont.
In closing the trial, Judge [...]

Friday morning, the jury unanimously found W.R. Grace not guilty on all counts. The jury also found defendants Jack Wolter, Henry Eschenbach, and Robert Bettacchi not guilty.
– Laura Lundquist

The jury in the W.R. Grace trial has returned with a verdict. Court will reconvene at 11:15 Friday to hear it.

The case against W.R. Grace and five of its former executives – now excluding William McCaig and Robert Walsh who were recently acquitted – was handed over to the jury Wednesday evening after nearly 10 hours of closing arguments from five separate attorneys. The trial, which began on Feb. 19, has been ongoing for nearly [...]

Backed by an array of colorful charts, lead defense attorney for W.R. Grace Co., David Bernick systematically worked to pick apart the government’s case.  Bernick’s closing argument Wednesday afternoon focused on what he insisted was the prosecution’s lack of credibility.
“The whole case, a politically driven case, is tainted,” Bernick said. “Has the government been credible [...]

Wednesday morning, the prosecution packaged its entire case into three hours for the jury, connecting specific evidence with each of the eight counts against W.R. Grace and the remaining three defendants. Government attorney Kris McLean covered the conspiracy count, followed by attorney Kevin Cassidy outlining the remaining counts of knowing endangerment and obstruction of [...]

The beginning of the end of the W.R. Grace trial started Wednesday morning as Judge Donald Molloy walked jurors through jury instructions and the prosecution started to present its closing argument.
Molloy discussed more than 50 separate instructions with the jury immediately after they entered the courtroom.
“You must not single out some (instructions) or ignore [...]

 Court ended Tuesday afternoon behind closed doors. The court was closed to the public while attorneys from both parties discussed jury instructions before Judge Donald Molloy.
Last week, Molloy said that jury instruction would be argued before the public. But the clerk of court told reporters and onlookers differently Tuesday.
After Molloy dismissed the jury, attorneys for [...]

Defense counsel for W.R. Grace said they have no further witnesses Thursday afternoon after finishing up an hour and a half direct of EPA on-site coordinator, Paul Peronard.
Molloy will instruct the jury first thing in the morning, and the jury will begin to deliberate by tomorrow,  Molloy said.
“Life’s a circle,” defense attorney David Bernick told  [...]