Supreme Court says Big Oil can’t rush appeal during a pandemic

Big Oil has fought again and again to delay lawsuits that communities across the country have filed to hold the industry accountable for lying about climate change and refusing to pay a dime in damages.

So you’d think maybe those same companies would be understanding when one of those cities asks for a little extra time to file a brief while its leaders are forced to respond to the extraordinary circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, right? Of course not. 

In filings before the U.S. Supreme Court, fossil fuel companies argued that the court should reject a request from the City of Baltimore for extra time to reply to the companies’ appeal of a defeat they suffered in a recent federal appeals court ruling. (Baltimore wanted 60 days. Big Oil’s lawyers said 30.) 

Thankfully wisdom prevailed (the Supreme Court itself, after all, has had to alter its practices in response to the coronavirus pandemic) and the court rejected Big Oil’s request instead, granting Baltimore the 60-day extension. 

Photo credit: Kjetil Ree on Wikimedia Commons