Miss. State Court Judge Tosses 117 Silica Exposure Suits for Failure to Prosecute

PASCAGOULA, Miss. –– A Mississippi state court judge has dismissed 117 silica exposure suits with prejudice, finding that “there was a clear record of delay” in the lawsuits, which the defendants had argued had not been active since 2013.

During an Aug. 27 hearing, Judge Robert P. Krebs of the Mississippi Circuit Court for Jackson County said that he contemplated issuing a ruling that would “stagger” the lawyers in the state, but determined that lesser sanctions were not appropriate.

The defendants filed individual motions to dismiss for failure to prosecute in 117 silica cases, saying that in 105 of …