A juror in the Rocky Flats trial, which pits homeowners against the companies that ran the Cold War-era weapons plant, was dismissed Wednesday, three days into deliberations in the high-profile case.
Senior U.S. District Judge John Kane ordered that no one involved in the case discuss the reasons the juror was released. And the hearing transcript was sealed Thursday, within hours of an inquiry by The Denver Post about acquiring a copy.
The dismissal, according to a person in the case, raises a “privacy issue.”
The jury, which began the case with 12 members, now has 10. Another juror was excused a month ago for medical reasons.
The three-month trial stems from a 1990 lawsuit filed by property owners downwind of Rocky Flats. The homeowners contend that Dow Chemical and Rockwell International acted negligently and allowed plutonium to blow off the site and contaminate residential property.
