Drummond
Case Name: The Estate of Valmore Lacarno Rodriquez vs. Drummond Company, Inc., Drummond Ltd, and Garry N. Drummond
Plaintiff: Families of mineworkers murdered by paramilitaries under orders from Drummond
Institutional Plaintiff: Sintramienergetic Union
Summary: A suit was filed in 2002 against the Drummond Company, an Alabama-based mining corporation with facilities in La Loma, Colombia, asserting claims on behalf of union mineworkers in Colombia who were tortured, kidnapped, and murdered by paramilitary gunmen. In 2005, IRAdvocates engaged in extensive discovery of witnesses in the case. The trial in this case began July 9, 2007. After weeks of testimony, and a number of controversial evidentiary rulings, the jury verdict found in favor of Drummond. IRAdvocates have appealed the ruling. On December 11, 2007, the International Rights Advocates filed the Opening Brief for Plaintiffs in the Drummond case. The appeal seeks to overturn the rulings of Judge Karon O. Bowdre at the initial trial. Judge Bowdre dismissed most of Plaintiffs’ claims at summary judgment and then refused to allow key witnesses to testify at trial. In the appeal, Plaintiffs seek a new trial.
Status:
12/11/07 Plaintiffs Opening Brief filed
Appeal Taken 8/31/07 (basis for appeal – you decide)
7/26/07 Verdict
Declaration of Jimmy Rubio (excluded by judge, one basis for appeal)
Declaration of Alberto Visbal (excluded by judge, one basis for appeal)
Declaration of Rafael Garcia (excluded by judge, one basis for appeal)
Apr 2006: Letter from United Steelworkers to Dr. Uribe, President of Colombia
Letter from congressmen to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Apr 2003: Decision
Mar 2002: Complaint
Cooperating Attorneys:
Dan Kovalik
United Steelworkers
Wiggins, Childs, Quinn, and Pantazis
— Chris Saeger, "Strengthening Rule of Law Through Aid for Human Rights Litigation in National Courts: A Case Study of Oil Multinational Corporations Complicit in Human Rights Violations in Sudan and Nigeria (December 2007)
— Terry Collingsworth, "Using the Alien Tort Claims Act to Introduce the Rule of Law to the Global Economy (2005)
International Rights Advocates is a nonprofit dedicated to holding corporations accountable for human rights violations in countries around the world. IRAdvocates already has 14 pending cases but without your support, IRAdvocates will not be able to continue its litigation.