High Profile Asbestos Lawsuit finds WR Grace Not Guilty

The biggest news in the asbestos litigation world this month has been the verdict against W.R. Grace relating to the town of Libby’s contamination from asbestos.  The case had been as high profile as they come in toxic tort litigation or any product liability litigation for that matter.

Not only was the company found not guilty of Violation of the Clean air act, conspiracy and obstruction of justice, but the three former executives had all charges against them dismissed.

The reactions of the residents in Libby speak volumes to the general shock surrounding this case:

From the Western News:

“When you have a judge like Molloy,” Libby resident Dale Herreid said Friday, “you know where the case is going – right down the toilet, just like it did.”

Herreid, who suffers from the effects of asbestos exposure, said he has followed the trial closely since it began in February. He believes that Molloy withheld pertinent information from the jury through controversial evidentiary rulings.

“He wouldn’t let the jury hear the evidence,” Herreid said. “You can’t really blame the jury when the judge didn’t allow the information to be heard.”

Read the full story here: Grace trial: Reaction around Libby toughest on Judge Molloy

From The Missoulian:

Libby barber George Bauer was on the list of potential witnesses for the prosecution. He was rejected after defense attorneys successfully argued his testimony would be repetitive.

“I was on the City Council for Libby for 25 years,” Bauer said. “I would have talked about the baseball fields, and other property we got from W.R. Grace. My twin brother and I both have it (asbestosis), and we were involved in the softball fields and the baseball fields. I am so disgusted.”

Bauer’s brother, Neil, spent 20 years with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. He and George both focused on U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy’s role in the case.

“I spent my whole career in law enforcement, and I can’t imagine the judge doing this,” Neil Bauer said. “I followed the case almost every day. I talked to the U.S. attorney, to people who sat in the court, and I think all our guys did a pretty good job. But everybody had a feeling, even from the start. Look at how many damn things he (Molloy) rejected and the U.S. attorney appealed and we won the appeals on them. That probably really upset him.”

Read the full story here: Libby residents shellshocked by verdict

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