HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) _ The state Supreme Court has thrown out a Norwich businessman's three-year prison sentence for illegally disposing of tons of debris containing lead paint.
Five justices ruled unanimously that trial Judge E. Curtissa R. Cofield improperly instructed a New London jury in 2005 about the legal meanings of ``disposal'' and ``storage.''
The high court ordered a new trial for Brian Cote, who was charged with illegally burying sand blasting debris containing lead paint particles under a cement floor of the old Ponemah Mill in Norwich. Cote is free on bond pending the appeal.
Cofield, agreeing with state prosecutors, told the jury to consider the definitions in federal law, under which pollution crimes are easier to prove.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
