The Judicial Panel on Multi District Litigation announced today that it has assigned U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier in New Orleans to preside over lawsuits related to the BP Oil Spill.
Upon careful consideration, however, we have settled upon the Eastern District of Louisiana as the most appropriate district for this litigation. Without discounting the spill's effects on other states, if there is a geographic and psychological "center of gravity" in this docket, then the Eastern District of Louisiana is closest to it. Considering all of the applicable factors, we have asked Judge Carl J. Barbier to serve as transferee judge. He has had a distinguished career as an attorney and now as a jurist. Moreover, during his twelve years on the bench, Judge Barbier has gained considerable MDL experience, and has been already actively managing dozens of cases in this docket. We have every confidence that he is well prepared to handle a litigation of this magnitude.
John G. Heyburn II, chief judge for the panel wrote in today's five-page decision.
Sources:
TRANSFER ORDER- IN RE: OIL SPILL BY THE OIL RIG "DEEPWATER HORIZON"
IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, ON APRIL 20, 2010 (MDL Docket No. 2179.) MDL-2179-Transfer_Order.pdf
