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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 20 september 2017

Lawyers trade jabs as meningitis outbreak murder trial opens

By ALANNA RICHER his head while Varghese
Associated Press spoke to the panel of 11
BOSTON (AP) — An attor- women and four men who
ney for a Massachusetts will hear the case, which
pharmacist charged in a is expected to last several
deadly meningitis outbreak weeks. Barry Cadden was
urged jurors Tuesday not to sentenced in June to nine
be swayed by their emo- years in prison after being
tions while prosecutors ar- acquitted of second-de-
gued the man’s actions gree murder charges but
demonstrated a “shocking convicted on conspiracy
disregard” for human life. and fraud charges.
Glenn Chin, the supervisory Before the defense gave its
pharmacist at the now- opening statement, Chin’s
closed New England Com- attorneys unsuccessfully
pounding Center, is on trial pressed the judge to de-
for second-degree murder clare a mistrial due to some
and mail fraud under fed- of Varghese’s comments,
eral racketeering law for his including a mention of how
role in the 2012 outbreak many people attended the
caused by tainted steroid funeral for one of the men-
injections that killed 76 ingitis victims. The outbreak
people and sickened hun- of fungal meningitis and
dreds of others. other infections was traced
Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenn Chin, the supervisory pharmacist at the now-closed New England Compounding Center, by the Centers for Disease
departs federal court after attending the first day of his trial, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017, in Boston.
George Varghese told ju- Chin is charged with second-degree murder and other crimes under federal racketeering law Control and Prevention to
rors Chin instructed staff for his role in the 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that killed 76 people and sickened hundreds of contaminated injections
to use expired ingredients, others. of medical steroids, given
falsify documents and ne- (AP Photo/Steven Senne) mostly to people with back
glect cleaning to get the products before they were better,” Varghese said dur- were going to die, and he pain. More than 700 people
products out the door as tested and ignored findings ing his opening statement. did it anyways.” in 20 states were sickened
quickly as possible. of mold and bacteria in “He knew with what he was Chin, who was wearing a in what’s considered the
Chin also failed to properly the clean rooms, Varghese doing there was a reason- dark suit and glasses, took worst public health crisis in
sterilize the drugs, shipped said. “Glenn Chin knew able likelihood that people notes and sometimes shook recent U.S. history.q

Judge won’t allow prostitution rumors in Menendez case

By DAVID PORTER Salomon Melgen. But at- a website who can drive allegations. The govern- scheme in which Menen-
Associated Press torney Abbe Lowell, rep- that type of story into the ment has said it looked into dez allegedly traded po-
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — The resenting Menendez, said mainstream” and adds, “all the rumors because they litical influence for trips on
judge in U.S. Sen. Bob they provide context for those smears are absolutely involved “serious and spe- Melgen’s private jet and
Menendez’s bribery trial what Menendez was fac- false.” cific allegations into child lavish accommodations
refused a request from de- ing when he did the CNN Prosecutors claimed that prostitution.” in Paris and at Melgen’s
fense lawyers on Tuesday interview in early 2013, the interview, as well as After a lengthy debate Dominican villa between
to show jurors parts of a TV when rumors first surfaced other evidence, shows the Tuesday, U.S. District Judge 2006 and 2013. Both have
interview and press release about the two men. New Jersey Democrat try- William Walls said there was pleaded not guilty. Pros-
that references discredited Clashes over what evi- ing to conceal the number “no way in God’s green ecutors spent part of Tues-
rumors about the Demo- dence will be shown to the of flights he took on a plane earth” he would allow the day methodically going
crat consorting with under- jury dominated court pro- owned by Melgen. evidence in. over which flights Menen-
age prostitutes in the Do- ceedings again on Tues- The defense has asserted “I’m not going to let you dez took, either alone or
minican Republic. day, including the clip of in past court filings that the get into a discussion about with a female companion,
Those rumors aren’t a part the interview with CNN re- government’s entire inves- smears and right-wing ac- between New Jersey and
of the 2015 indictment of porter Dana Bash, where tigation of Menendez was tivities, OK?” he told the the Dominican Repub-
Menendez and Florida- Menendez decries “name- tainted because it arose defense. The two men are lic, with stops in Melgen’s
based ophthalmologist less, faceless individuals on from the bogus prostitution charged with a bribery home state of Florida.q