Fla. Judge Rules Chinese Drywall Maker Knauf Deliberately Destroyed Evidence

MIAMI — Jurors will decide whether Chinese drywall manufacturer Knauf Plasterboard (Tianjin) Co. intentionally destroyed evidence that plaintiffs in a Florida lawsuit say is crucial to proving damages in a trial scheduled to get underway on Monday.

In an order entered Oct. 17 in Miami Dade Circuit Court, Judge Beatrice Butchko granted, in part, a motion for sanctions in which the plaintiffs asked for jury instructions placing the burden on Knauf to prove at trial that the evidence did not go missing as a result of an intentional act or omission by the company or its employees.

Judge Butchko also …