W.R. Grace Executives Set to Go to Trial in February of 2009Missoula, Montana - Executives of W.R. Grace, who operated the Libby, MT vermiculite mine are set to be tried in criminal court over asbestos allegations in February.
The executives are under federal indictment concerning asbestos exposures that occurred among employees and residents of Libby while the mine was still in operation. The defendants are accused of knowingly exposing their employees and residents of the town.
This will be landmark case for the prosecution and national attention is gathering for the February proceedings. This will mark the first criminal action taken against the against the bankrupt company executives, who are already entangled in billions of dollars of civil litigation over illnesses caused by asbestos exposures at the Libby site.
Jury selection in the criminal case against W.R. Grace is set to begin February 19th in Missoula. While Federal Judge, Donald Molloy hopes to resolve the case within a matter of months, defense attorneys as well as representatives of the U.S. Attorney’s office will prepare for the possibility of a more drawn out trial.
