The fall sitting of Dukes County Superior Court opens Monday in the Edgartown courthouse; the Hon. Cornelius Moriarty 3rd will preside over the monthlong session which will hear a mix of civil and criminal cases.

The Dukes County Grand jury convenes Monday to consider any new criminal indictments.

A jury trial is set to begin on Tuesday in the case of a Vineyard Haven man who has been charged with raping a person with mental challenges. Peter J. Duart, 42, was indicted by a grand jury in June and has been held in the Edgartown house of correction since his arrest in March. A motion by the defendant’s attorney seeking a change of venue in the case has been denied and jury selection is expected to begin on Tuesday.

Judge Moriarty heard an array of pretrial motions and other business in court throughout this week, including the arraignment of a Falmouth fuel dealer who has been criminally charged for not reporting a gasoline spill in Oak Bluffs in June 2009.

Loud Fuel Co. has been charged with failure to report a hazardous waste spill and negligent endangerment of the environment. The incident occurred when a fuel truck making a delivery to Jim’s Package store on June 19, 2009 spilled gasoline near Nancy’s Snack Bar along the Oak Bluffs harbor. The spill was not reported to town or state officials until three days later, after employees at the restaurant had smelled gasoline. A review of a tape from a video surveillance camera mounted at the back of the restaurant showed the spill occurring and the driver of the truck leaving the scene.

Kabraul Tasha and the owner of Loud Fuel were both arraigned in court on Tuesday; a pretrial conference is set for Oct. 29. The Massachusetts Attorney General is prosecuting the case for the state Department of Environmental Protection.