Court Denies 3M Motion to Force Recusal in Silica Case

JACKSON, Miss. - An en banc panel of the Mississippi Supreme Court has refused to order the recusal of a judge after silica defendant 3M petitioned the court claiming the judge held a longstanding grudge against one of the company's attorneys and the attorney's firm. In Re: 3M Company, No. 2002-M-1229 (Miss. Sup. Ct.).

The order denying 3M's petition was entered March 27 without comment and was issued along with several additional en banc decisions granting mandamus relief in other cases currently pending before Judge Billy Jo Landrum in Mississippi state circuit court.

All of the petitions contained similar arguments …