A federal judge has returned Bayer’s proposed $7.25 billion Roundup settlement to Missouri state court, allowing approval proceedings to continue in St. Louis.
U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey of the Eastern District of Missouri ruled Wednesday that the nationwide class-action case, King v. Monsanto, was improperly removed to federal court by plaintiffs objecting to the settlement.
In his ruling, Autrey determined that only defendants have the authority to remove a case from state court to federal court, rejecting arguments from objectors who contended Missouri courts lacked jurisdiction to oversee the proposed nationwide settlement.
The decision sends the case back to St. Louis Circuit Court, where Judge Timothy Boyer has been overseeing the settlement proceedings.
Monsanto, Bayer’s U.S. subsidiary, said the ruling provides clarity regarding where the case will proceed.
“This decision returns jurisdiction over the class settlement to Missouri Circuit Court where the vast majority of pending claims in the Roundup litigation have been filed,” the company said in a statement.
The company added that it believes the proposed settlement, which is supported by plaintiffs’ attorneys representing tens of thousands of potential class members, is fair and that objections to the agreement lack merit.
Attorneys representing plaintiffs who oppose the settlement filed a notice of appeal Wednesday.
The case is unfolding alongside a separate legal challenge before the U.S. Supreme Court, where Bayer has argued that federal pesticide regulations preempt state-law claims alleging inadequate warning labels. A decision in that case could affect future Roundup litigation nationwide.
Jake Kroesen serves as the Editor of the Missouri Times. He hails from Independence, Missouri and enjoys all things Jackson County. A graduate of UCM, he obtained his degree in Political Science.
