A chemistry professor must stand trial on felony charges stemming from a 2008 laboratory fire that killed a 23-year-old research assistant, a state trial judge has ordered.
Patrick Harran, 48, who works at the University of California at Los Angeles, was scheduled for arraignment on May 9 on three felony counts of violating occupational health and safety standards. The case appears to be the first of its kind in the country involving felony charges precipitated by a university chemistry lab accident. If convicted, Harran faces 4 1/2 years in prison.
