The full picture · 2 sources

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

Updated Nov 3, 12:07 AM CT. Every fact below links to the source that reported it.

What the primary sources show

Judge James Gion of the Southwest Judicial District denied Greenpeace's request for a new trial on Monday. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Energy Transfer, the developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, brought the case over protests in North Dakota in 2016 and 2017. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
A Morton County jury in early 2025 directed Greenpeace to pay Energy Transfer about $667 million. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Judge Gion later reduced the award to $345 million. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Greenpeace argued the trial was unfair, citing inaccurate evidence, errors in the jury instructions and verdict form, and jury pool bias. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Greenpeace says it will appeal the case to the North Dakota Supreme Court. [Bismarck Source] [KFYR-TV]
Energy Transfer defended the verdict, and Gion wrote that he did not find Greenpeace's arguments persuasive. [KFYR-TV]

Neither outlet gives a timeline for the appeal to the North Dakota Supreme Court.
Neither outlet explains why Gion cut the jury award from about $667 million to $345 million.
Neither outlet lays out the judge's full reasoning for rejecting the new trial request.

Bismarck Source: Framed the ruling around Mandan area residents not facing a second trial, and added the three named Greenpeace entities and Greenpeace's claim that pro energy media and mailers biased local jurors. Read it →
KFYR-TV: Framed the ruling around Greenpeace's appeal, quoting its general counsel, and added Energy Transfer's statement defending the verdict, the judge's reasoning, and Greenpeace's suggestion of Cass County as a 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