UM Grace Case

LIBBY (May 10, 2009) — The environmental criminal inquiry into the most sprawling industrial disaster in U.S. history ended in the failed prosecution of a company charged with poisoning a small Montana town. Some residents of the town say no judge’s gavel can close their case, that death may be the only end to their [...]

 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 [...]

During the past week, Judge Donald Molloy dismissed two defendants, ruled on two critical motions and revealed a deadline for his ruling on another.
The prosecution said that they didn’t have enough evidence to prove their case against Robert Walsh on April 27 and defendant William McCaig on April 30. Three defendants remain to face the [...]

 Defense lawyers spent the latter half of Wednesday morning attempting to disprove that W.R. Grace conspired to conceal the dangerous nature of Libby vermiculite.
Through the questioning of four witnesses, the defense showed that Grace took action to monitor and reduce workplace dust, that company executives weren’t afraid to take their families to the mine, which [...]

 Judge Donald Molloy ended Friday’s court session by saying that he hoped that the way the government has handled and presented this case is not an example of government business as usual.
After EPA criminal investigator Robert Marsden left the stand, defense attorneys argued that Molloy should dismiss the case against W.R. Grace and its executives. Defense attorneys [...]

 When the Owens family bought 3,600 acres next door to W.R. Grace’s vermiculite mine in 1994, they got a lot more than just the timber they wanted to harvest. They got veins of asbestos in the ground, regular visits from government agencies and their very own air quality tests.
The Owens family formed the Kootenai Development [...]

 Prosecuting attorney Kris McLean finished his direct examination of Robert Locke Wednesday morning, and made way for defense attorney David M. Bernick, whose demonstrative charts, colorful necktie and cheerful greetings added life to the quiet courtroom Wednesday afternoon.  
McLean questioned Locke, a construction manager for W.R. Grace for more than 20 years, about the possible sale [...]