Cameron International Corporation sought to push back the BP Deepwater Horizon February 27th trial date by appealing U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier’s decision, based upon maritime law, to conduct a nonjury trial regarding who is liable for the explosion and subsequent spill. Cameron argued that the federal Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act is the controlling body of law, not maritime, and that a jury trial is proper under the current circumstances. A panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals denied the appeal this week finding that the Court did not err in proceeding under maritime law and that a nonjury trial is indeed proper.
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Source: Bloomberg
