[StBernard] MRGO class action

[Westley Annis]

I did some net surfing and can report the following regarding these class
action MRGO suit(s), not to be confused with the host of other class action
lawsuits that don't involve St. Bernardians, like the flooding caused by the
17th St. Canal. 
 
Seems the earliest class action suit was by attorneys Maples and Kirwan
filed for $5 billion on behalf of the Tommaseos and the Bordelons of St.
Bernard.
 
Then there is the suit discussed a lot last week in which the judge says
that he believes the federal govt only has immunity for flood control
projects, not navigational projects. This is filed by a group of lawyers
include Pierce O'Donnell, Fayard and Honeycutt, and Joseph Bruno and the
suit is called Robinson vs. U.S. No. 05-4182, at least that's what is on the
judge's statement I found on  a website. The plaintiffs are Norman Robinson,
Lattimore, Smith, and Franz. The lead attorney on the judge's statement is
listed as Pierce O'Donnell. The judge seems to feel that this claim is based
on the destruction of the wetlands and funnel efffect of the MRGO which he
says this suit claims "created a hazard which could not have been controlled
by a flood control project" and therefore he ruled the COE could be held
liable.
 
There is also a website www.leveelaw.com and it is the Levee Litigation
Group and includes local attorneys Lamber and Nelson, Darleen Jacobs,
Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier, and Warshaue, Ashton O Dwyer, Bruno
and Bruno, Maples, and Hall and a few firms outside of N.O. area.  The
address of the Joseph Bruno cited above is the same as this Bruno and Bruno
law firm. I can't tell if this is one and the same suit as above or a
separate suit. But the website says for their suit that the deadline for the
COE to receive the SF 95 it is Wed, Feb 28. 
 
There is another website that is on the internet that is Pierce O'Donnell
and Jonathan Andry and the plaintiffs are Mark Madary, Cynthis Willard
Lewis, the Nevles, and Savoy.  I believe this is the suit St. Bernard Parish
Govt. voted to go under. Again, I can't tell if this is a separate class
action suit or one and the same as above.
 
If the Times Picayune did a side by side comparison of how many different
class action suits there are, who the attorneys are for each, who the named
plaintiffs are for each, and which ones are pursuing admiralty law and
navigational issues and which ones are pursuing negligent levee
protection,and which ones apply to the various zip codesm, it sure would
make the public aware of all the players and issues. But that would end all
the confusion, wouldn't it?  Guess that's why lawyers don't like engineers
on their juries. ddk