Dive Brief:
- Griffin Campbell, a Pennsylvania-based demolition contractor charged with six counts of third-degree murder and related offenses in connection with a 2013 Philadelphia building collapse, rejected a plea deal and has elected to stand trial. The trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 29 and is predicted to last about a month.
- Campbell’s company was demolishing an unsupported, three-story brick wall when it collapsed onto the Salvation Army thrift store next door, killing six people and injuring 13 others.
- Prosecutors allege that Campbell cut corners and directed heavy equipment operator Sean Benschop to ignore safety procedures during the demolition.
Dive Insight:
The rejected plea deal reduced murder charges against Campbell to involuntary manslaughter, and prosecutors say they would not have recommended a sentence of more than 10 to 20 years in prison had Campbell accepted the deal. Prosecutors say Benschop accepted the same plea deal they offered Campbell.
Campbell has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and, according to prosecutors, Benschop has agreed to cooperate and could possibly testify as a prosecution witness.
William Hobson, Campbell’s defense attorney, has said authorities should hold the building’s owner, Richard Basciano, responsible for the collapse.
At the time of the 2013 incident, Philadelphia issued demolition permits without requiring the building owner to file plans or prove that their contractors were qualified, according to ABC News. Since then, the Philadelphia City Council passed a series of bills aiming to improve public safety in the construction industry, including a stricter demolition application process.
