musicNEWS:
Great White, Club Owners Fined By Feds, Criminal Charges Pending.
08-21-03
Keavin
.
The Federal government delivered the first
legal fallout from the deadly fire at the Station Night Club in West Warwick,
R.I. that ignited from pyrotechnics used during Great Whites concert.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration
handed down close to $100,000 in fines on Wednesday (8-20) to the group
and the owners of the night club.
The fines were for several violations in
workplace safety regulations. This decision came six months to the day
of the deadly night club fire.
OSHA found the club owners Derco LLC, guilty
of one willful violation for installing an exit door that swung the wrong
way. There were six additional serious violations including inadequate
safety planning, the use of highly flammable foam on the walls as sound
proofing and an exit door that was concealed by soundproofing foam.
Derco, which is ran by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian were fined
$85,200 for these violations.
Great White was also fined. Jack Russell
Touring Inc., was fined $7,000 for failing to protect employees from fire
hazards.
Both parties will have 15 days to appeal
the OSHA ruling.
Criminal Charges May Be Handed Down.
The Boston Globe reports that state prosecutors
are close to completing their criminal investigation and are expected to
ask a grand jury for involuntary manslaughter indictments against the club
owners, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and the bands tour manager, Daniel
Biechele.
The Globe article states that lawyers
say it is unlikely there will be indictments of the members of GREAT WHITE,
who approved of Biechele's use of the pyrotechnics, and of the salesman
and manufacturers of the highly flammable foam that lined the walls of
the club and greatly accelerated the blaze.
However, we will not know which parties
will be indicted until the actual indictments are handed down. And thats
not to say that the prosecutors will get a conviction. The Globe reports
that The state would have to prove recklessness or criminal intent in
order to win involuntary manslaughter charges against the Derderians.
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