Lawyers want Station evidence destroyed

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - Attorneys for victims and defendants of The Station nightclub fire are asking a judge for permission to destroy evidence from the fire they say is no longer needed.

More than 700 items from the Feb. 20, 2003, fire have been saved in a warehouse so lawyers could evaluate it.

But, since all the lawsuits have been settled for $176 million, attorneys for the victims and defendants on Friday filed a joint motion seeking permission to close the warehouse and get rid of the evidence.

Rent for the warehouse on Macklin Street is $2,500 a month, according to The Providence Journal, and both sides of the litigation have borne the costs. The victims' share will be subtracted from their settlement checks.

The filings suggest that the costs of destroying the evidence be split in half: the victims would pay half and the defendants who are contributing to the settlements would pay half.

The fire began when pyrotechnics set fire to soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling of the West Warwick nightclub. In all, 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured.