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Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Rubashkin in hospital; trial delayed until Friday 

Sholom Rubashkin’s child-labor trial will resume Friday after an infection landed the former Agriprocessors Inc. executive in the hospital on Sunday.
Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids admitted Rubashkin on Sunday, and he was expected to remain through at least today, his family said.

Court will remain in recess on Wednesday and Thursday so Rubashkin and his family can observe the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.

Rubashkin faces 83 misdemeanor child-labor charges. The state alleges minors at the kosher slaughterhouse in Postville worked excessive hours and were exposed to poisonous chemicals and dangerous machinery.

Prosecutors were scheduled to continue to bring former child laborers to the witness stand on Monday, the second week of a scheduled three-week trial.

At the hospital on Sunday, Rubashkin was given intravenous antibiotics because of a skin infection of unknown origin. His condition is not serious, Rubashkin’s family said.

Rubashkin’s attorneys did not provide any details on their client’s condition, citing federal health privacy laws.

Rubashkin’s rash first appeared two weeks ago during pretrial hearings and jury selection, said his wife, Leah Rubashkin. Doctors prescribed oral antibiotics last week, but he woke up Sunday with his arm red, hot and swollen, she said.

Rubashkin, a Hasidic Jew, went on a hunger strike before jury selection when Black Hawk County jail did not provide sufficient kosher food. The jail also removed his prayer garments, which it deemed a safety hazard.

To accommodate his religious needs, Rubashkin was transferred to Linn County jail in Cedar Rapids for the duration of the trial.

Rubashkin had been staying in Linn County while awaiting sentencing May 27 following his conviction on 86 federal financial fraud charges in November.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20100518/NEWS01/5180352/-1/BUSINESS04/Rubashkin-in-hospital-trial-delayed-until-Friday

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