Court Stays Proceedings until Jurisdiction Dispute Resolved

ABERDEEN, Miss. -- A federal court has granted a motion by plaintiffs to stay a benzene case until the plaintiffs' motion to remand can be addressed. Simmons, et al. v. First Chemical Corp., et al., No. 05-0002 (N.D. Miss.).

The April 25 order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi effectively stays recent motions to dismiss by the defendants who claimed that the plaintiffs failed to comply with a court order to replead with greater particularity.

In the April 6 motion, defendant ConocoPhillips Co. claimed that the plaintiffs' second amended complaint is merely a 'carbon copy' …