South Dakota Supreme Court Allows “Slime” Suit to Proceed

According to news sources, the South Dakota Supreme Court has denied the defendants’ petition seeking review and dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Beef Products, Inc. alleging that the ABC network and news anchor Diane Sawyer, among others, defamed the company by their coverage of the company’s lean, finely textured beef, which has been dubbed “pink slime” by critics. Beef Prods., Inc. v. Am. Broadcasting Cos., Inc., No. 12-292 (Union Cty. Cir. Ct., S.D., supreme court order entered May 22, 2014). Without discussing the case merits, the court also apparently lifted a stay that had stopped the discovery process in April 2014. Additional details about the lawsuit appear in Issues 519 and 453 of this Update. The plaintiff seeks $1.2 billion in damages. See AP, May 23, 2014.

Issue 524