KRUSE TRIAL SET FOR JANUARY 11TH STARTING DATE IF AGREEMENT NOT REACHED

  

Officials say charges against former Blue Bell president Paul Kruse must be dismissed by the end of December, or he will face a jury trial beginning in January.

The U.S. Justice Department has indicted Kruse on seven criminal counts related to his alleged efforts to conceal what the company knew about a listeria contamination in some of its facilities.

If an agreement is not finalized on or before Dec. 28th in writing, Kruse will face a jury trial set to begin at 9 a.m. on Jan. 11, 2021.

Federal Judge Robert Pitman signed a scheduling order which sets Dec. 30 at 9 a.m. as the deadline for pending pretrial motions and the docket call.

Kruse’s defense team claims the “charges are barred by the statute of limitations.”  Government attorneys have until next Monday to respond to a motion to dismiss all charges against Kruse because the grand jury may have missed the deadline for filing charges.

Kruse entered a “not guilty” plea during his virtual arraignment last week.  He remains free on a $50,000 appearance bond.