Ex-coal baron’s bid put on hold
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BECKLEY, W.Va. – A federal judge won’t decide whether to move former coal baron Don Blankenship’s criminal trial until after potential jurors are questioned in Beckley, W.Va.
Blankenship asked for a change of venue, arguing he cannot get a fair trial in southern West Virginia because of prejudicial news coverage. The former Massey Energy CEO was charged with conspiring to violate safety standards, among other violations, at the Upper Big Branch Mine after a blast killed 29 men in 2010. It was the deadliest U.S. mine disaster in four decades.
U.S. District Judge Irene Berger said in Friday’s order Blankenship’s motion will be put on hold until after questioning of potential jurors is completed. That process is set to begin July 9. The trial is scheduled for July 13.
The judge already discarded several of Blankenship’s motions to drop the case, including one that said the government targeted him in a selective and vindictive way.
After the explosion, investigations found worn, broken cutting equipment created a spark that ignited accumulations of coal dust and methane gas. Broken and clogged water sprayers allowed what should have been a minor flare-up to become an inferno.