Digital Extra: The Station Fire

05:02 PM EDT on Thursday, May 26, 2005

The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE -- A judge said today that prosecutors can subpoena the financial records of two brothers who owned the West Warwick nightclub ravaged by fire during a rock concert more than two years ago.

Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. authorized subpoenas for the tax returns, payroll records, credit card transactions and safe deposit boxes of defendants Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and their company, Derco LLC.

Prosecutors have requested the records to determine whether the Derderians had the resources to do renovations to The Station. Investigators believe the fire spread quickly because the Derderians covered the walls of their club with a highly flammable packaging foam for soundproofing, rather than more expensive acoustic insulation.

The fire, triggered by a pyrotechnics display, killed 100 people and injured 200 others who had gathered at the club for a Great White concert.

The Derderians and Dan Biechele, the band's former tour manager, each face 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. All three have pleaded innocent.

Also today, Darigan set a June 20 deadline for defense lawyers to file motions seeking to have the charges dismissed. The state must respond by July 11, and a hearing on the requests will take place on July 22.

The judge said the case was likely still on track to go to trial in January.