BERLIN — A landmark civil suit inched closer to closure this week when a federal court clerk awarded Perdue over $28,000 in various legal fees expended to defend the case.
In March 2010, the New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance, along with the Assateague Coastal Trust and the Assateague Coastkeeper, filed suit in U.S. District Court against Perdue and Berlin’s Hudson Farm, a contract factory farm operation of about 80,000 birds. The suit was filed after sampling in ditches adjacent to the property allegedly revealed high levels of harmful fecal coliform and E. coli that violated the Clean Water Act.
After three years of legal wrangling, the case finally went to trial last October and concluded after 10 days of testimony during which experts on both sides testified on the merits of the case. In late December, U.S. District Court Judge William Nickerson ruled in favor of Perdue and Alan Hudson, opining the Waterkeeper Alliance was not successful in proving a Clean Water Act violation.
In early January, each of the defendants filed separate motions seeking reimbursement for attorney fees and other costs associated with litigating the three-year case. Perdue sought $2.5 million in attorney fees and other costs from the plaintiff, while the Hudson Farm sought $500,000.
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11 comments:
Get drug through the mud for years, racking up millions in fees and get back 1% of your fees. Seems legit. Clean water, clean bay, etc are all shams.
The consumers are the ones being "drug" (btw it's dragged) through the mud. What these companies sell to the public isn't fit for a rabid dog's last meal. Nothing but chemical laced flesh~ no doubt cancer causing and the cause of numerous other ailments.
Big business always wins, no matter the crime. Should have taken the farm owner and Purdue down to that ditch and asked if they wanted a sip of their product.
Food is nothing like it used to be, mass produced and laced with chemicals to keep the animals alive long enough to make it to the slaughter house.
I am so glad they got there legal fees back now they need to make restitution to the Hudson family . All they did was harrass this farming family HaHa Cathy Phillips maybe you will think twice before you target our farmers. Cudos to Perdue and the Hudsons.
These so called environmentalists are nothing more than anti capitalistic commies.
The case they brought against Purdue was laughable at best, they lawyers that brought the case should be PERMANANTLY disbarred.
just say NO to the EPA and all it's cohorts. these people are idiots and are destroying everything they touch.
perdue should have gotten much more in legal fees.
"These so called environmentalists are nothing more than anti capitalistic commies"
Don't be so sure of that. Environmental issues and safe food free from chemicals is one of the few things the far left and the far right have in common.
The far right is well aware how these big food corps have managed to run out the little guy.
Why do you think there are no independent large scale slaughter houses left around here? It's because the big companies saw to it that regulations were put in place and fees put in place to run them out so then all the growers would have to be under contract with them.
Don't be so quick to defend these companies. They are the main reason for the blight on the Eastern Shore by running all the competition out.
3 years of legal fees is $28k? Are you for real? This is a Judge who is familiar with legal fees and the number of lawyers and hours of research required to properly defend such a case?
Can you say pennies on the dollar? I would not accept such a ludicrous offer. Here comes the next legal action.
I guess they just want to keep the lawyers in business!
1:42 Agreed... I raise, process and eat my own meats, so I can be sure my family receives the proper nutrition.
Environmentalists are criminals half the things they say about a company causing pollution is less than the problems they cause themselves.
Drinking and typing 5:30?
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