New Judge Assigned To Case Against BP Supervisors

There is now a new judge who will be presiding over the case against two BP supervisors charged in the deaths of the eleven workers who perished in the explosion and fire of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig two years.

U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle is the judge who originally had the case, but he disclosed to prosecutors and attorneys connected with the case that his wife owns stock in Halliburton.  They were the cement contractor on the project.

The judge then allowed prosecutors and attorneys for BP supervisors Robert Kaluza and Donald Vidrine to put in a confidential request for another judge to handle the case.  One of the group did make the request, and now U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr. will be handling the case.

Both Kaluza and Vidrine have already pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges against them.