PLEA HEARING DELAYED Plea Hearing For Former Massey Official Delayed Until February
Reported by: Associated Press
Web Producer: Jeff Morris
Reported: Jan. 11, 2013 5:46 PM EST
Eyewitness News Photo
Beckley, Raleigh County
, West Virginia
A plea hearing for a former president of Massey Energy's White Buck Coal Co. has been delayed until February.
A federal judge in Beckley on Friday granted David Hughart's request to postpone next week's hearing until Feb. 28. The judge agreed to give defense attorney Michael Whitt more time to review the case after allowing former attorney Tim Carrico to withdraw over an unidentified conflict of interest.
Hughart is set to enter a plea to two federal conspiracy charges. He's accused of working with unnamed co-conspirators to ensure miners at White Buck and other Massey-owned operations got advance warning about surprise federal inspections between 2000 and March 2010.
The charges resulted from prosecutors' investigation into the 2010 explosion at another Massey operation that killed 29 men.
Hughart denies any wrongdoing.
Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Students ordered to clean up W.Va. school May 21, 2013 3:23 AM EDT Wayne County High's principal says students accused of vandalizing the school with deer carcasses will be allowed to graduate if they clean up the mess.
Dalai Lama to spread message to students May 21, 2013 3:31 AM EDT The Dalai Lama is spreading his message of non-violence and compassion to a group of Kentucky students.
Protesters expected at FirstEnergy's W.Va. meeting May 21, 2013 3:08 AM EDT Protesters are gathering in Morgantown to challenge Ohio-based FirstEnergy over labor issues, executive compensation and the proposed sale of a coal-fired power plant in north-central West Virginia.
Associated Press
