In September of 2007 the Moonlight Fire burned 65,000 acres of forest land in the Northern California Sierra Nevada.
Following an investigation by CAL FIRE and US Forest Service authorities, lawsuits were filed in 2009 against Sierra Pacific Industries, the nation’s largest private landowner, and others. Sierra Pacific ultimately decided to settle the federal claim for cash and land valued at more than $100,000,000. However, in February of 2014 Special California State Judge Leslie C. Nichols tossed out California’s claim and assessed more than $30,000,000 in sanctions against the state for it’s legal misconduct in prosecuting the case. Sierra Pacific then asked the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California to vacate its settlement and assess sanctions against the United States of America as a result of the fraud committed in the course of the litigation.
Moonlight Fire wikipedia site
Following an investigation by CAL FIRE and US Forest Service authorities, lawsuits were filed in 2009 against Sierra Pacific Industries, the nation’s largest private landowner, and others. Sierra Pacific ultimately decided to settle the federal claim for cash and land valued at more than $100,000,000. However, in February of 2014 Special California State Judge Leslie C. Nichols tossed out California’s claim and assessed more than $30,000,000 in sanctions against the state for it’s legal misconduct in prosecuting the case. Sierra Pacific then asked the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California to vacate its settlement and assess sanctions against the United States of America as a result of the fraud committed in the course of the litigation.
Moonlight Fire wikipedia site
Event Timeline
2007
2017
2018
- Moonlight Fire begins on Labor Day
- 7/22- Federal Storrie Fire Settlement with Union Pacific
- 6/30- Joint Fire Investigation Report
- 8/4- Cal Fire Inspector White sends letter to defendants "requesting damages"
- 8/7- CalFire files lawsuit
- 8/31-Federal government files lawsuit
- 1/4- US Attorney Wright removed from case
- 7/? Federal settlement
- 8/18- CalFire WIFTIR (slush) fund discovered by California Auditor
- 5/13- Joint inspector Larry Dodds testifies that white flag depositions create "shadow of deceptions"
- 10/15- CalFire WIFITR (slush) fund audit released by California Auditor
- 2/4- Special Judge Leslie C. Nichols throws out California's claim and assesses sanction of $30 million against CalFire because of fraudulent behavior.
- 10/9- SPI Attorneys file motion to set aside settlement
- 10/15- Federal Judge "recuses" Eastern District due to fraud
- 1/21/15- Defendants’ revised supplemental briefing regarding the Moonlight Prosecutors’ fraud on the court
- 2/17/15- United States Opposition to Motion To Reopen Moonlight Fire Settlement
- 3/9/15- Defendants’ reply in support of supplemental briefing regarding the Moonlight Prosecutors’ fraud on the court
2017
2018
- 4//18- U.S. Supreme Court may hear case about 2007 Moonlight Fire