Court Rejects Attempts to Administratively Dismiss Bankruptcy Defendants

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- A Maryland appellate court has refused to reverse an order seeking the administrative dismissal of asbestos defendants involved in bankruptcy proceedings, saying that overturning the order would wrongfully allow a "mystic never-never land" in which defendants are both a part, and not a part, of a case. Silbersack, et al. v. ACandS, Inc., et al., No. 53 September Term, 2007 (Md. Ct. App.).

In the Jan. 4 order, the Maryland Court of Appeals also rejected plaintiff requests to certify as final and appealable an order denying attempts to re-join previously dismissed tobacco defendants.

The plaintiffs asserted the …