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Pigford Case Class Reopened
On June 18, 2008, Congress overrode the president's veto of HR6124, the 2008 Farm Bill, which included a provision for the reopening of claims pursuant to the Pigford litigation. The decision to allow new claims comes almost ten (10) years after the Agriculture Department settled a class action lawsuit brought on behalf of thousands of Black farmers. Farmers mainly from rural areas in the South alleged that local USDA offices routinely denied those loans, disaster assistance and other aids frequently given to white farmers. Thus, the practice often drove the Black farmers out of business. At the time of the initial Pigford litigation, 22,500 farmers filed claims however an estimated 73,000 others were denied payments because they missed the October 1999 deadline for seeking claims. The Pigford case provides compensation as a result of the government's discrimination settlement with black farmers. The provision authorizes black farmers who would have qualified for Pigford relief, in the initial law suit, to seek redress in Federal Court. An early estimate suggests that there are more than 70,000 potential claimants who may be eligible for redress under the provision in the 2008 Farm Bill.
In hearings held by Congress in 2004 and again in 2007, it was determined that these tens of thousands of potential Pigford claimants had not gotten fair notice of the settlement from television, radio, and print campaign about the settlement in early 1999, and that, as a matter of fundamental fairness, they should be given another chance to obtain relief for the USDA discrimination.
Mike Espy, Esquire and Morgan & Morgan, P.A. are currently working in conjunction with a Black Farmers advocacy group, The Black Farmers and Agriculturist Association, to represent those farmers who were denied justice by having their claims rejected in the previous litigation. We are accepting all potential cases for evaluation; please do not hesitate to contact us at 1-800-896-2709 or complete an on-line case evaluation.