A U.S. lawyer defending a group of American and Vietnamese people suffering from the effects of exposure to Agent Orange vowed to continue to fight following a rejecting of the case in the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Jonathon Moore said at press briefing in Hanoi Friday that he would take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary. Here is coverage today from United Press International;
Agent Orange case to go on, lawyer says
Published: March 24, 2008 at 9:58 AM
HANOI, Vietnam, March 24 (UPI) — A U.S. lawyer representing Agent Orange victims said he would ask for a full appeal of the case, vowing to take the fight all the way to the Supreme Court.
Jonathan Moore, who is representing the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, or VAVA, pledged to continue the legal fight charging U.S. chemical companies with selling dual-use products to the military, Vietnam News reported Monday.
VAVA filed a lawsuit in January 2004 against 37 producers and suppliers of the chemical herbicide, dioxin — a component in Agent Orange — because it caused poisoning that later manifested itself as cancer, deformities and organ dysfunction in some 3 million people.
A three-judge panel in the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February upheld a lower court's decision rejecting the charges in support of the chemical companies, saying dioxin was sold to the military as a defoliant and not a chemical weapon.
Moore called the decision unethical in a press briefing Friday, vowing to petition for a full review by the appellate court and an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if necessary.
Moore said the suit moved beyond the many Vietnamese and Americans impacted by Agent Orange, saying if nobody took responsibility for the health effects of Agent Orange, the use of toxins may continue in other wars.
