Rules Set For Lawyers' Visit To GREAT WHITE Fire Site Tomorrow

March 25, 2003

Private lawyers and their fire experts are scheduled to converge at the site of The Station nightclub fire tomorrow morning to take photographs and measurements in preparation for civil lawsuits stemming from the blaze that killed 99 people, The Providence Journal has reported.

According to an order issued by Superior Court Judge Alice B. Gibney — who has been assigned to supervise and manage all of the pretrial proceedings for the civil suits — the civil lawyers and their experts will have access to the site in West Warwick from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow.

Everyone who goes onto the site will have to sign a release holding the Town of West Warwick and Triton Realty, the owners of the Cowesett Avenue property where the nightclub stood, harmless from any injuries they could suffer while on the premises.

Also, no one will be allowed on the site who has not pre-registered with West Warwick Town Solicitor Timothy A. Williamson or Marc DeSisto, the lawyer for the town's insurer, the Rhode Island Interlocal Risk Management Trust.

The deadline for preregistration is 3 p.m. today. Any lawyer, inspector or photographer seeking access to the site will have to pass through a checkpoint at the main entrance to the site and sign a liability release, according to Gibney's order.

Experts representing victims who have filed lawsuits or expect to do so, and any party that has been sued or expects to be sued have all been given permission to participate in the inspection.

The judge will be on the site during the hours the site is open for inspections in case any problems arise.

According to Gibney's order, the "Phase 1" site inspection tomorrow will be limited to allowing the civil lawyers, their experts and photographers to observe, videotape and photograph the site and take measurements there.

It is unknown what, if any, evidence is left at the scene that could be of benefit to either side.

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