State whittles child labor case to just Sholom Rubashkin

WATERLOO - Jury selection in the child labor case against Sholom Rubashkin, the former vice president of the Agriprocessors kosher meatpacking plant in Postville, will continue Wednesday (May 5).

Judge Nathan Callahan sent prospective jurors home at about 4:15 p.m. Tuesday after about three hours of jury selection.

About 45 people were called for jury duty, and six or seven have been excused.

What was to have been a child labor trial against six defendants has been whittled to just Rubashkin.

The state has dismissed child labor charges against Agriprocessors corporate officer Abraham Aaron Rubashkin and plant human resources employee Laura Althouse on Tuesday morning (May 4).

The state still intends to proceed with charges against Sholom Rubashkin, said Assistant Attorney General Thomas H. Miller, who is prosecuting the case.

Miller also amended the charges against Sholom Rubashkin from 9,311 counts to 83 counts.

He said the move to ensure the case could be tried in front of a jury in a reasonable amount of time.

An attorney for Agriprocessors Inc. said the corporation is pleading guilty to amended charges, although the plea isn't based on the knowledge or intent of Abraham and Sholom Rubashkin.

Charges against human resources workers Elizabeth Billmeyer and Karina Freund were separated from for further proceedings at a later date.

Sholom Rubashkin stood by his not guilty plea.

Although the charges stem from incidents in Allamakee County, where the Agriprocessors plant was located, the trial was moved to Waterloo on a change of venue.

Sholom Rubashkin, who is awaiting sentencing on federal fraud charges, was moved to the Black Hawk County Jail for the duration of the child labor trial. (See related story.)

Abraham Aaron Rubashkin was also in the courthouse Tuesday morning as a corporate officer for Agriprocessors.