MORRISTOWN (AP) - A federal public defender representing a Morristown businessman charged in a complex asbestos-related prosecution says she needs more time to prepare a defense in the case.
Attorney Nikki Pierce on Friday filed a motion to extend pretrial deadlines and postpone the January 2013 trial date for Mark Sawyer. Sawyer and four co-defendants were indicted for alleged crimes involving the removal, storage and disposal of asbestos.
The Citizen-Tribune reported that Pierce says she's got an unmanageable caseload and 13,000 pages of discovery to sort through before trial.
Sawyer's three remaining co-defendants, Newell Lynn "Nick" Smith, Milto Di Santi and his wife, Armida Di Santi, hired high-profile Miami attorneys.
The fourth co-defendant, Eric Gruenberg, pleaded guilty to a single asbestos-related crime, and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 4, 2013.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
