NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A federal judge has ruled out testimony about a deadly 2005 explosion at a BP PLC refinery in Texas from the first phase of a trial over the oil giant's liability for the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said Thursday evidence of BP's "alleged prior misconduct," including the Texas City refinery disaster that killed 15 workers, isn't relevant in determining what caused the catastrophic blowout of BP's deepwater well on April 20, 2010.
That's the focus of the first of three phases of a trial scheduled to start on Feb. 27.
However, Barbier said some of the evidence could become more relevant at a later phase of the trial if the judge weighs punitive damages or Clean Water Act penalties against BP.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
