BECKLEY, W.Va. (AP) - Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship doesn’t want public disclosure of court filings arguing that his criminal case should be moved from southern West Virginia.
In a filing Thursday in Beckley federal court, Blankenship’s attorneys say releasing the documents would likely exacerbate pretrial bias against him.
His attorneys call the documents a “compendium of prejudice.” They say they surveyed southern West Virginia prospective jurors, and responses about Blankenship were extensive and inflammatory.
Last month, The Associated Press and other media outlets challenged the sealing of the documents. Previously, a federal appeals court overturned an extensive gag order in the case after a media challenge.
Blankenship is charged with conspiring to violate safety standards related to Upper Big Branch Mine, where a blast killed 29 men in 2010.
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