Judge Sues Courthouse Over Asbestos Exposure

November 1, 2006 - A judge from the Monterey County Superior Court, his bailiff, and another courthouse employee have filed civil lawsuits against two contractors alleging injuries due to exposure to asbestos and other toxic substances during renovation of the building's north wing, notes a report in the Monterey Herald.

Judge Albert Maldonado and the others have claimed that they are experiencing symptoms that may have been caused by exposure to toxic materials at the Salinas County Courthouse, Maldonado’s lawyer told the Herald.  "All three men have similar respiratory problems and it's very troubling in that sense," he said.

“My lungs have been impaired," said the Superior Court judge. "I am concerned for my health and I have hired Jim Spiering... to file a lawsuit on my behalf to protect my future health concerns."

According to the newspaper account, the lawsuits ask for medical expenses, as well as general and exemplary damages, against Skanska USA Building, Nova Partners Inc. and their respective project managers, Anthony Jones and Seth Henderson, who are overseeing renovation of the north wing.

Elevated asbestos levels have been detected in the North Wing of the courthouse for several years, resulting in frequent closings.  In September of this year, the building closed completely when asbestos began falling from areas that were supposedly already abated and where no work was currently being conducted.

Currently, the state’s attorney general’s office is prosecuting the same four defendants, claiming improper management of construction and asbestos removal at the Salinas County Courthouse. 

“It's extraordinary, based on my understanding (of the criminal charges), there was knowledge or at least conscious disregard on the part of Nova and Skanska in allowing all those people to stay and work, eight hours a day, five days a week, while right over their heads they were tearing the building apart and all the chemicals and asbestos were being released for a long period of time," added Spiering.