Jax Courthouse Contamination May Impact Trial
November 21, 2001
The judge overseeing a high profile murder trial in Jacksonville may move the proceeding after a health consultant examining the Jacksonville Federal courthouse found large amounts of mold and mildew that could cause serious respiratory problems. The consultant told U.S. District Judge Henry Lee Adams Jr. that people may experience breathing problems if exposed to the toxic substances for more than four days.
The toxic mold issue may complicate the trial of ex-Jacksonville police officer Karl Waldon, charged in the 1998 slaying of convenience store owner Sami Safar. Judge Adams says it will be difficult to select a jury due to the health risks, as such, the trial may be moved to a different location. Dozens of people who work in the building have already blocked air vents to limit mold inflow.
A spokesman for the building's landlord, the U.S. General Services Administration, verified that an independent inspector had been hired by the court to research the problem. Samples of mold and mildew have been sent to the Centers for Disease Control for examination.
The 68-year-old building has the worst mold and mildew problem of all the Federal courthouses in the Middle District of Florida. A new courthouse is currently being constructed but is not scheduled for completion for at least a year.
-- Article Courtesy of InjuryBoard.com
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