JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal appeals panel has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a group of Mississippi coastal landowners who alleged that emissions by energy companies contributed to global warming, which intensified Hurricane Katrina, which, in turn, damaged their property.
On Tuesday, the ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans didn’t get into arguments by the two sides. Instead, the panel says the appeal violated the doctrine of res judicata, which prevents the same parties from re-litigating the same issue after a final court decision.
The panel said Mississippi federal court dismissed the lawsuit in 2007 with prejudice, meaning it could not be filed again.
The panel says it will not let landowners renew an appeal in the same case.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.
