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State must pay for email destruction in Oso case

A house is seen destroyed in the mud on Highway 530 next to mile marker 37 on Sunday, March 23, 2014, the day after a giant landslide occurred near mile marker 37 near Oso, Washington. At least six homes have been washed away, with three people reported dead so far and at least eighteen missing. The nearby Stillaguamish River has been dammed up by 15-20 feet of debris as a result, creating more flooding concerns, as reported by KING 5 via the state hydrologist. (Lindsey Wasson / AP)
Associated Press

SEATTLE – A judge says Washington state will have to pay significant sanctions after its expert witnesses deleted emails related to a lawsuit over liability for the deadly Oso landslide.

The Daily Herald of Everett reported that King County Superior Court Judge Roger Rogoff said Tuesday he needs more time to determine the amount of the sanctions, but will include legal costs for the plaintiffs.

The judge said at least one of the state’s attorneys encouraged the experts to destroy records, and he wants to spur the Attorney General’s Office to overhaul its training practices.

Victims of the slide, which killed 43 people, argue that the state and a timber company should be held liable for damages, based on the notion that they made the hillside more dangerous and failed to warn residents of the danger.

Opening statements are set for next Monday.