U.S. Supreme Court Denies Benzene Plaintiff's Petition

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to address a petition for writ of certiorari filed by a benzene plaintiff who had claimed that Alabama's statute of limitations was unconstitutional, the court confirmed to HarrisMartin. Cline v. Ashland Inc., et al., No. 06-1329 (U.S. Sup. Ct.).

On June 4, the nation's highest court denied Alabama resident Martha Jane Cline's petition without further comment.

The parties involved in the dispute had argued over whether a federal question existed as to justify the U.S. Supreme Court's attention to the matter.

In a May 14 reply brief, Cline refuted the defendants' …