SRHS in Chancery Court
The year-long legal battle with Singing River and the retirees continues as the two sides met in Jackson County Chancery Court this morning. The health system’s lawyers presented their proposal for a financial agreement to Judge Breland Hilburn. The attorneys representing the retirees say they want a better deal.
Singing River retirees filled up the Jackson County Chancery Court before the session started, eager to hear an official update on the financial settlement the health system recently proposed.
Jim Reeves, the lead attorney in the pension plan case, said, “I think it’s very fair. I think it’s very good. I think it lets those three things that make the pension members whole, it makes the hospital have a fighting chance to survive and it does have county involvement without raising any taxes.”
Singing River attorneys say they have been transparent with providing information to the retirees and their representatives but attorney Harvey Barton stresses the complete opposite. “Perhaps now that this has been exposed and the federal court apparently has lifted the order to at least allow them to talk to us, we can become part of the process rather than be excluded from the secrecy of these meetings.”
The next step for the Singing River attorneys is to finalize the proposal and submit the complete settlement to Judge Hilburn within the next month. But the attorneys defending the retirees aren’t done yet. “We will file individual tort claims, notices that we’re going to sue the county and others for their tortuous, fraudulent behavior. We’ll be filing those tomorrow, about 145 of them,” said Barton.
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors released a statement stating five of the trustees on the Singing River Health System Board are resigning, so a majority of the board may appoint new members.
The next scheduled Chancery Court session in the Singing River case is set for December 2nd at 9 a.m.
Singing River retirees filled up the Jackson County Chancery Court before the session started, eager to hear an official update on the financial settlement the health system recently proposed.
Jim Reeves, the lead attorney in the pension plan case, said, “I think it’s very fair. I think it’s very good. I think it lets those three things that make the pension members whole, it makes the hospital have a fighting chance to survive and it does have county involvement without raising any taxes.”
Singing River attorneys say they have been transparent with providing information to the retirees and their representatives but attorney Harvey Barton stresses the complete opposite. “Perhaps now that this has been exposed and the federal court apparently has lifted the order to at least allow them to talk to us, we can become part of the process rather than be excluded from the secrecy of these meetings.”
The next step for the Singing River attorneys is to finalize the proposal and submit the complete settlement to Judge Hilburn within the next month. But the attorneys defending the retirees aren’t done yet. “We will file individual tort claims, notices that we’re going to sue the county and others for their tortuous, fraudulent behavior. We’ll be filing those tomorrow, about 145 of them,” said Barton.
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors released a statement stating five of the trustees on the Singing River Health System Board are resigning, so a majority of the board may appoint new members.
The next scheduled Chancery Court session in the Singing River case is set for December 2nd at 9 a.m.
Leave a Reply