Federal Judge Certifies Class Action
U.S. District Judge Louis Guirola approved the Singing River Health System federal settlement, allowing it to move forward in the process of becoming a class action.
Guirola declared May 16th as the hearing date to determine if a class will be formed and if the settlement is fair. Co-lead counsel in the federal lawsuit, attorney Jim Reeves, requested a stop to all other litigation regarding the hospital’s pension, specifically the 46 cases filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Judge Guirola denied the request to put a stay on those cases but stated he will take it under advisement.
One of the attorneys for more than 200 retirees in the state case weighed in on this latest development. Attorney Earl Denham said, “It’s not anything that we weren’t expecting. We have a plan to deal with it and we’ll be meeting with our clients this week and discussing it with them and we’ll just proceed. We never thought this would be quick. It’s not going to be quick but it’s going to be fair before it’s over.”
For the time being, Judge Breland Hilburn has stopped all litigation regarding the pension plan in chancery court.
Guirola declared May 16th as the hearing date to determine if a class will be formed and if the settlement is fair. Co-lead counsel in the federal lawsuit, attorney Jim Reeves, requested a stop to all other litigation regarding the hospital’s pension, specifically the 46 cases filed in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Judge Guirola denied the request to put a stay on those cases but stated he will take it under advisement.
One of the attorneys for more than 200 retirees in the state case weighed in on this latest development. Attorney Earl Denham said, “It’s not anything that we weren’t expecting. We have a plan to deal with it and we’ll be meeting with our clients this week and discussing it with them and we’ll just proceed. We never thought this would be quick. It’s not going to be quick but it’s going to be fair before it’s over.”
For the time being, Judge Breland Hilburn has stopped all litigation regarding the pension plan in chancery court.
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