Lawyers working for WR Grace & Company have stated that they want the location of the trials involving seven current and former managers to be moved. The lawyers state that too much biased and prejudiced information has been made available to jurors in Montana, and in order for the trial to be a fair one it needs to take place in another location such as Seattle or Denver.
The charges against the managers allege that the defendants were aware of the dangers of the Grace vermiculite mine for years but that they then went on to conceal this information from both workers for the company and from local residents that could also be affected by exposure to the deadly asbestos.
However, despite the requests made by Grace lawyers for the trial to be moved, prosecuting lawyers have stated that there is not enough evidence suggesting that the jurors in Montana have been allowed to see biased and prejudiced information, and that therefore the jury cannot be classed as being biased.
A hearing is now planned for December with regards to the request of the defense attorneys to move the trial.