Chevron can be sued for attacks on Nigerians, U.S. judge rules

[Kadie]

Chevron can be sued for attacks on Nigerians, U.S. judge rules
Bob Egelko, Chronicle Staff Writer

Wednesday, August 15, 2007


(08-15) 12:58 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- Nigerian villagers can go to trial in San Francisco in a lawsuit that seeks to hold Chevron Corp. responsible for military attacks that killed and wounded protesters at oil company facilities in 1998 and 1999, a federal judge has ruled.

In a series of decisions Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston narrowed the lawsuit against Chevron but said a jury could consider the gist of the villagers' claims -- that the oil giant summoned troops to the protests, directed their actions and should be held accountable for the injuries and deaths of peaceful demonstrators.

"This is a major victory,'' plaintiffs' lawyer Barbara Hadsell said today. "It's an affirmation of holding corporations accountable here for their conduct abroad. If they make the profit there, they have to pay the consequences if things go bad.''

Chevron said in a statement that it is confident a jury will "reject this ultimate Nigerian scam.''

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http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/08/15/BAGVPRJ1QK5.DTL&tsp=1

[muntrv]

1. As good as this is, you know it's going to be reversed on appeal, since

the BFEE has packed the courts with facists.