Statement - Sholar Farms verdict

     

We have been concerned, from the very beginning, about the way these cases were tried and the threat they pose to our industry. It is gratifying to have a judge rule, as a matter of law, that Murphy-Brown is not willfully harming its neighbors or operating with malice and that no punitive damages should be awarded in this case.

While we disagree that this farm is considered a nuisance, we are grateful that the jury rejected the plaintiffs' attorney's plea to award millions of dollars to neighbors who live near a well-run hog farm.

We continue to believe that the handling of previous cases deserves careful review in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.