Nigeris: Court denies new trial in Chevron case

A U.S. federal court has denied a request by Nigerian victims of human rights abuses for a new trial against Chevron, which was found not liable for aiding and abetting those abuses after a jury trial last December. The plaintiffs in Bowoto v. Chevron had argued that a new trial was warranted due to insufficient evidence for the defense verdict, erroneous legal rulings, and prejudicial misconduct by Chevron’s lawyers. Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California disagreed, letting the verdict stand.