Judge Denies Greenpeace a New Trial, $345 Million Pipeline Judgment Stands
Mandan, Morton County, North Dakota — Southwest Judicial District Judge James Gion on November 2 denied Greenpeace's motion for a new trial, meaning the closely watched Dakota Access Pipeline lawsuit in Mandan will not be retried. The case stems from the 2016 and 2017 protests against construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline: developer Energy Transfer sued Greenpeace, saying the group encouraged illegal acts during the protests and published false statements that harmed the company's reputation.
In early 2025, after a trial of more than three weeks, a Morton County jury found Greenpeace liable and initially awarded about $667 million; Judge Gion later reduced the award to $345 million. Greenpeace then moved for a new trial, citing legal errors, but Judge Gion said in a written ruling that he did not find the arguments persuasive and denied the motion.
Greenpeace announced on November 2 that it will appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court. The three legal entities named in the suit are Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International and the Greenpeace Fund. The case now turns on how the state supreme court rules.
(Source: North Dakota Monitor)
Source: North Dakota Monitor
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：达科他输油管道（艾奥瓦州中部段）。Carl Wycoff 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Dakota Access Pipeline in central Iowa. By Carl Wycoff, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
