Judge recuses himself in suit against Chevron

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 9/5/9 | David R. Baker

[SmithL]

The judge presiding over a $27 billion pollution lawsuit against Chevron Corp. in Ecuador recused himself Friday after the oil giant released videos in which he appeared to say that he would rule against the company.

Judge Juan Nuñez recused himself at the request of Ecuador's attorney general, who told a news conference Friday that he wanted to avoid further delays in the trial and stop what he said he suspects may be Chevron's efforts to discredit the court's eventual ruling.

This week, the San Ramon company released secretly recorded videos and transcripts that Chevron says show misconduct on the judge's part, as well as a possible $3 million bribery scheme connected to the lawsuit.

"I decided to remove myself from this case so authorities can continue with their work," Nuñez told the Reuters news service. "My conscience is clean. I have committed no wrongdoing. It is important that this be investigated."

Although Chevron welcomed his recusal, company executives aren't satisfied. Chevron still wants the judge's decisions in the case annulled.

"Judge Nuñez has correctly realized that his position has become untenable," Chevron General Counsel Hewitt Pate said in a prepared statement. "No judge who has participated in the type of meetings shown in the video records could possibly have rendered a legitimate decision."

Chevron faces a possible $27 billion penalty in a lawsuit over the contamination of the ground and water in a corner of the Amazon rain forest. Texaco used to pump oil there, before turning over its operations to state-run Petroecuador in 1992 and paying $40 million to clean up some of the wells. Chevron inherited the suit when it bought Texaco in 2001.

[rawhide]

I think these banana republics are starting to realize they can sue big American companies, for millions and billions of US dollars, thereby enriching themselves, and face no political fallout at home.

[Michael.SF.]

I think these banana republics are starting to realize they can sue big American companies, for millions and billions of US dollars

Yes, and they learned it from people in cities like Richmond, California who are doing much the same thing.

Chevron moved it's HQ out of SF due in part to an unfriendly city environment. They should do the same with the refinery in Richmond. Sell it off to someone and build a new one elsewhere.

Yuma, AZ. is already permitted for example.

[jveritas]

The whole Ecuador GDP is $ 98 billions and they are suing Chevron for $ 27 billions? Damn the communists. Chevron should not even show up in these Kangaroo courts run by communist thugs.