Judge Sets Limits in Civil Suit Over Deadly Oso Mudslide

A King County Superior Court judge is considering which claims can be brought in a civil trial that will explore whether anyone should be held responsible for the deadly Oso, Washington mudslide.

The Daily Herald reports that Judge Roger Rogoff ruled that lawyers for people harmed by the slide can’t claim the state of Washington and Snohomish County had special duties to protect people living in the Steelhead Haven neighborhood.

His ruling specifically bars claims about what some say was the state’s mishandling of forest practices regulations and the county’s implementation of the Growth Management Act.

The judge OKed claims about the county’s adoption of a flood hazard management plan.

The trial is set for June 2016. Forty-three people died and dozens of homes were destroyed on March 22, 2014, when the hill collapsed.