A federal judge has set a 13-day schedule for the trial of a BP well-site leader charged with a Clean Water Act violation in connection with the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Robert Kaluza's trial is set for Feb. 16. Judge Stanwood Duval says in a court order that 13 days should be enough time to select jurors and try the misdemeanor case. He set a March 4 deadline to begin closing arguments.
Last week, federal prosecutors dropped 11 counts of involuntary manslaughter against Kaluza and co-defendant Donald Vidrine. Both were fighting allegations that they failed to act on test results indicating problems with the Deepwater Horizon rig.
Vidrine pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor Clean Water Act violation. Kaluza opted to go to trial on the remaining misdemeanor charge.
