La. Judge Refuses to Move Asbestos Case, State Law Issues Out of Federal Court

NEW ORLEANS — Saying it is “perfectly capable” of handling complex issues of state law, a federal court in Louisiana has retained jurisdiction of a take-home asbestos exposure case that has been pending for more than four years and is now ready for trial.

Writing for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Judge Carl J. Barbier ruled on April 24 that he would exercise supplemental jurisdiction over the mesothelioma case now that defendants who removed the matter based on a federal officer defense have been dismissed.

The case involves the claims of Sally Vedros, who sued …