Judge Says Environmental Courtroom Tutorial “Wasn’t Quite” What He Thought

According to a Wall Street Journal op-ed, the judge overseeing the public nuisance lawsuits against major energy companies was underwhelmed by a courtroom tutorial on the issue.

Specifically, the piece said Judge William Alsup thought the alleged “smoking gun” documents were “nothing more” than information that “[e]verybody knew.” According to Judge Alsup, the plaintiffs, a group of cities that allege the companies violated public nuisance statutes by contributing to climate change, believed the information to be a “conspiratorial document.” Instead, it was closer to public information.

The defense also pointed to bonds from the plaintiff cities that seemingly play down the potential for damage to the cities.