44 Cases found
State v. Higgins
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: Mont.
Status: Denial of defendant's request to assert common law necessity defense affirmed. [ 03/03/2020 ]
Description: Criminal prosecution of environmental activist for participating in "valve-turning" protest in 2016 in which protesters shut down pipelines.
Massachusetts v. West Roxbury Protesters
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: Mass. Dist. Ct.
Status: Defendants acquitted on basis of necessity defense. [ 03/27/2018 ]
Description: Prosecution of activists who protested the West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline in Massachusetts.
State v. Ward
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: Wash.
Status: State's petition for review denied. [ 09/04/2019 ]
Description: Criminal action against protester who turned off valve on oil pipeline in Washington.
Resolute Forest Products, Inc. v. Greenpeace International
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: N.D. Cal.
Status: Motions for attorney's fees granted. [ 04/22/2020 ]
Description: Action under the federal RICO law and common law by forest product company against Greenpeace.
People v. Berlin
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: N.Y. Justice Ct.
Status: Defendants found guilty. [ 01/08/2019 ]
Description: Prosecution of protesters of the Algonquin Incremental Market pipeline project who locked themselves in section of pipeline.
State v. Klapstein
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: Minn. Dist. Ct.
Status: Charges dismissed. [ 10/09/2018 ]
Description: Criminal cases against climate protesters who turned pipeline valves.
State v. Taylor
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: Wash.
Status: Court of Appeals reversed on issue of what constitutes a reasonable legal alternative for the necessity defense and finding that defendant had made the necessary showing to present a question of fact for a jury. [ 07/15/2021 ]
Description: Criminal case against defendant who blocked railroad tracks in protest of coal and oil trains that traveled through Spokane, Washington.
State v. Foster
Filing Date: 2016
Court/Admin Entity: N.D. Dist. Ct.
Status: Defendants sentenced. [ 02/06/2018 ]
Description: Criminal cases against climate protesters who participated in pipeline protests.
Shell Offshore Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc.
Filing Date: 2015
Court/Admin Entity: 9th Cir.
Status: Ninth Circuit dismissed Greenpeace's appeal of preliminary injunction. [ 03/04/2016 ]
Description: Oil company filed suit seeking to bar environmental activists from interfering with its Arctic drilling operations.
People v. Cromwell
Filing Date: 2015
Court/Admin Entity: N.Y. App. Term.
Status: Convictions affirmed. [ 06/13/2019 ]
Description: Prosecution of protester who obstructed entry to a power plant construction site.
State v. Brockway
Filing Date: 2014
Court/Admin Entity: Wash. Ct. App.
Status: Convictions affirmed. [ 05/29/2018 ]
Description: Prosecution of protesters who blocked a rail yard in Washington state to draw attention to climate change and the risks of coal and oil trains.
People of New York v. Bucci
Filing Date: 2013
Court/Admin Entity: N.Y. Justice Ct.
Status: Decision, verdict, and order issued finding defendants guilty. [ 12/01/2016 ]
Description: Charges of disorderly conduct against pipeline protesters who asserted a justification defense.
Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Ward
Filing Date: 2013
Court/Admin Entity: Mass. Dist. Ct.
Status: Charges dropped and reduced in conjunction with guilty plea. [ 09/08/2014 ]
Description: Criminal charges against protestors who used a lobster boat to block a coal shipment to coal-fired power plant.
Stein v. Kyocera Mita America, Inc.
Filing Date: 2012
Court/Admin Entity: Cal. Super. Ct.
Status: Order and ruling issued. [ 04/26/2012 ]
Description: Action by actor Ben Stein alleging that a Japanese company unlawfully fired him for his views about climate change.
TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP v. Beebe
Filing Date: 2012
Court/Admin Entity: Tex. Dist. Ct.
Status: Agreed judgment and permanent injunction issued. [ 01/25/2013 ]
Description: Lawsuit seeking injunction against protesters concerning construction of oil pipeline.
City of Helena v. McKinlay
Filing Date: 2012
Court/Admin Entity: Mont. Mun. Ct.
Status: Order issued denying defenses of necessity/compulsion and free speech and granting plaintiff's motion in limine. [ 04/05/2013 ]
Description: Prosecution of citations of 23 citations for criminal trespass with protests at Montana State Capitol.
Shell Offshore, Inc. v. Greenpeace, Inc.
Filing Date: 2012
Court/Admin Entity: 9th Cir.
Status: Petition for rehearing en banc denied. [ 07/10/2013 ]
Description: Oil company lawsuit seeking to bar environmental activists from occupying its drilling ship bound for Arctic.
iMatter Utah v. Njord
Filing Date: 2011
Court/Admin Entity: 10th Cir.
Status: Opinion issued affirming district court's ruling that insurance and indemnification requirements violated the First Amendment. [ 12/22/2014 ]
Description: Challenge by environmental groups wishing to organize marches to raise climate change awareness to constitutionality of Utah regulations requiring them to obtain insurance and sign an indemnification form.
Koch Industries, Inc. v. John Does 1-25
Filing Date: 2010
Court/Admin Entity: D. Utah
Status: Memorandum decision and order issued granting defendants' motion to quash subpoenas, issue protective order, and dismiss complaint. [ 05/09/2011 ]
Description: Company lawsuit against anonymous bloggers for posting fake press release concerning climate change.