« Probe of Mass. double slaying goes international | Today | Updated: R.I. joins appeal over LNG site in Fall River »

January 26, 2006

In surprise move, defense rests in lead-paint trial

PROVIDENCE - In a surprise move, lawyers for the four defendant companies in the state's landmark lead-paint trial rested their cases this morning without presenting witnesses.

The move came immediately after the state rested its case in the three-month trial of a public nuisance lawsuit against four companies that made and sold lead-based paints two generations ago that the state alleges still poison young children today.

Judge Michael A. Silverstein will next hear arguments for dismissal from defense attorneys without the jury present. He told the jury to return to court Feb. 6.

The defendants are NL Industries, Millennium Inorganic Inc., Sherwin Williams Co. and Atlantic Richfield Co. The trial, the state's second against the paint companies, began in the middle of October. The first trial ended in a mistrial.

-- Journal environmental writer Peter B. Lord

Posted by Jack Perry  at 12:12 PM | Permalink