The defamation lawsuit filed by Beef Products Incorporated against ABC Broadcasting will proceed in Union County District court this summer.
That’s after a South Dakota state judge ordered ABC to face a potential multi- billion dollar lawsuit claiming it damaged BPI by referring to its lean finely textured beef in a series of reports as “pink slime.”
The Wall Street Journal first reported the decision Tuesday.
Judge Cheryle Gering of the Union County Circuit Court dismissed claims against news anchor Diane Sawyer, but said ABC and reporter Jim Avila must defend against such claims.
BPI has claimed up to $1.9 billion of damages, which could be tripled to $5.7 billion under South Dakota’s Agricultural Food Products Disparagement Act.
A jury trial is scheduled to begin June 5th in Elk Point.
