Calif. Appellate Court Affirms Order Precluding Evidence of Defendant’s Role as Owner of Asbestos Mine

LOS ANGELES –– A California appellate court has affirmed a trial court’s decision to exclude evidence of an asbestos defendant’s role as an owner of a site on which asbestos was mined and milled, ruling that the court did not err when it found the defendant did not know that its role as an owner/operator of the site would be at issue at trial.

In the Aug. 18 opinion, the California Second District Court of Appeal additionally found that it was within the trial court’s authority to control the proceedings and ensure that the defendant received a fair trial.