Indictment of ex-BP engineer charged with deleting texts after oil spill stands
by The Associated Press
Charged with deleting messages about company's response to 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill
NEW ORLEANS—A U.S. federal judge refused to dismiss indictments against a former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages and voicemails about the company’s response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval rejected claims that there were serious defects in the grand jury proceedings that led to Kurt E. Mix’s indictment.
Mix’s lawyers said prosecutors never provided the grand jury with any evidence about the content of the text messages and voicemails that Mix is charged with deleting.
They also claimed prosecutors made errors in instructing the grand jury.
Duvall said the arguments were without merit.
Mix’s trial is set for December.
