Give thanks for our farms, not condemnation

One of the hardest things about watching the third hog farm trial is to also watch a litany of courtroom distortions, especially about the people ultimately in charge of the farms at issue in this trial. It’s a group led by a man named Dean Hilton. In court, the Texas...

Third hog farm trial brings on… confusion

The third hog farm nuisance trial, now underway in Raleigh, sure is confusing – especially about odor and what the plaintiffs are saying about its source. First, a bit of background. The lawsuit now being advanced in court by the Texas lawyer was originally against...

A jury of peers?

On Tuesday, a world away from the federal courtroom in Raleigh, a great crowd gathered on the farm of Joey Carter in Duplin County. It was young and old, it was farmers and city folks, and even some media came and looked in for a bit before heading away to file their...

The Reptile vs. The Pig

A lot of people want to know how in the world a Texas lawyer convinced a North Carolina jury that a responsible, well-run hog farm is a legal nuisance, punishable with a (soon-to-be-reduced) $25 million verdict. The answer may have nothing to do with pigs – and...