Judge denies Greenpeace bid for new trial in $345M Dakota Access case

What the primary sources show

• Southwest Judicial District Judge James Gion denied Greenpeace's request for a new trial on Monday. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
• The lawsuit was brought by Energy Transfer, the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, over protests held in 2016 and 2017. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
• The suit names Greenpeace USA, Greenpeace International, and the Greenpeace Fund. [Bismarck Source]
• A Morton County jury in early 2025 ordered Greenpeace to pay about $667 million, finding it at fault for encouraging illegal acts during the protests and for publishing false statements that harmed Energy Transfer's reputation. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
• Gion reduced the award to $345 million. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
• Greenpeace argues the first trial was unfair, citing inaccurate evidence, errors in the jury instructions and verdict form, and bias in the Morton County jury pool. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]

What they left out / still unanswered

• No timeline is given for Greenpeace's appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court.
• The reports do not say whether Greenpeace must pay the $345 million now or whether payment is paused during the appeal.
• The specific jury instruction and verdict form errors Greenpeace cites are not described in these texts.

Official line vs. how each source framed it

• Bismarck Source: Framed the ruling for Mandan and Bismarck residents, added the three named Greenpeace entities and the length of the trial, and reported Greenpeace's claim that local mailers and pro-energy media shaped the jury pool. Read it →
• KFYR-TV: Relayed the North Dakota Monitor report with a quote from Greenpeace International general counsel Kristin Casper, Energy Transfer's statement defending the verdict, Gion's view that Greenpeace's arguments were unpersuasive, and Greenpeace's suggestion of Cass County as a new trial venue. Read it → · Ads

701 News writes these summaries from the sources above and checks every sentence against them. Read the originals for the full reporting. Corrections

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