A last-ditch lawsuit seeking to halt construction of the16-mile Purple Line light-rail system in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. has itself been temporarily sidetracked with the recusal of the judge overseeing the case.
U.S. District Court Judge Peter J. Messite announced his withdrawal from the case, citing the proximity of his Montgomery Count residence to a future station on the transit line, and his link to the case, whch "has the potential to indefinitely halt” construction. Messite’s memo to attorneys explained that the location of his residence “might reasonably lead one to question my impartiality.”