Court TV Wants Station Trial

The first criminal trial stemming from the tragic Rhode Island nightclub fire has been scheduled for this spring and Court TV, which has broadcast the trials of Saddam Hussein and Robert Blake, wants a piece of it.

Great White tour manager Dan Biechele, who launched pyrotechnics at The Station in West Warwick, is set for a jury trial in Providence May 1st. The February 2003 blaze ignited by the pyro burned the club to the ground, killing 100 people and injuring 200 more.

Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian have separate trials following Biechele’s. The three defendants each face 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

Court TV News sent letters December 15th to Superior Court Judge Francis Darigan Jr., Attorney General Patrick Lynch and Biechele’s attorney, Thomas Briody, asking to broadcast Biechele’s trial.

“It’s such a tragic story,” Court TV spokeswoman Andie Silvers said. “It raises many safety concerns. And people will be interested in the outcome of the trial. People will want to see who a jury will decide is accountable.”

Briody asked to be heard on the request before Darigan decides whether to grant it.

Biechele has a pretrial conference scheduled for January 20th, according to The Providence Journal.