CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Defense attorneys filed a motion Monday to have the cases of two former Freedom Industries executives moved out of West Virginia.
Attorneys for Gary Southern and Dennis Farrell don’t feel that their clients will receive a fair trial, particularly in Southern West Virginia where they said that many jurors already view the men as guilty. Last January’s chemical leak affected the drinking water supply for 300,000 residents in nine counties.
Attorneys said that one in six residents were either directly or indirectly affected by the spill, including many jurors. The defense surveyed 904 potential jurors in the Huntington, Charleston, Beckley and Bluefield areas. The study said nearly eight in ten said Southern is “definitely” or “probably guilty” and more than 75 percent felt the same about Farrell.
The study also found that a saturation of media coverage has influenced potential jurors. Attorneys thought that the that even those that were not affected by last year’s water ban had been influenced in presuming the guilt of Southern and Farrell.