United States Third Circuit

In an appeal by non-settling parties to litigation involving water contamination in the Virgin Islands, the District Court's approval of the consent decree was fair, reasonable, and in the public interest, and it did not err by approving the consent decree without holding a full evidentiary hearing.

Appellate Information

• Decided 04/09/2003
• Published 04/09/2003

Judges

• Before SCIRICA, ALITO and McKEE, Circuit Judges.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Robert L. Tofel (Argued), Mark A. Lopeman, Tofel, Karan & Partners, New York, NY, for Appellants, Andreas Gal;  The Estate of Paul, Lazare by its Executors, Norman Halper and Oliver Lazare;  Panex Co., Robert K. Hill (Argued), Seitz, Van Ogtrop & Green, Wilmington, DE, for Appellants, The Successor Panex Industries, Inc. Stockholders' Liquidating Trust and Michael D. DeBaecke, Esq., Successor Trustee.


• For Appellees:
  
• Michael B. Law, Office of the Attorney General of the Virgin Islands, Department of Justice, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I., for Appellees, Dean C. Plaskett, in his capacity as Trustee for Natural Resources of the Territory of the United States Virgin Islands;  Virgin Islands Department of Education., John K. Dema (Argued), Law Offices of John K. Dema, Christiansted, St. Croix, U.S.V.I., for Appellee, Dean C. Plaskett, in his capacity as Trustee for Natural Resources of the Territory of the United States Virgin Islands., H. Marc Tepper, Buchanan Ingersoll, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellee, Virgin Islands Department of Education., David A. Bornn, The Bornn Firm, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. V.I., for Appellee, Virgin Islands Housing Authority., Glen R. Stuart (Argued), Kell M. Damsgaard, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Philadelphia, PA, for Appellees, Esso Standard Oil S.A., Ltd., Esso Virgin Islands, Inc., and Esso Standard Oil Co. (Puerto Rico)., Donald W. Stever, Dewey Ballantine LLP, New York, NY, for Appellees, Texaco Caribbean, Inc., Texaco Puerto Rico, Inc. and Texaco, Inc., Nancy D'Anna, St. John, U.S.V.I., for Appellee, L'Henri, Inc. d/b/a O'Henry Cleaners., John A. Zebedee, Hymes & Zebedee, Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, for Appellee, Vernon Morgan.