Thomas G. Ledford, the court appointed defense attorney for the former quality control manager at the now defunct Peanut Corporation of America, made numerous attempts to get the trial court to let his client off.
Continue Reading PCA defense attorneys switch their focus to Atlanta for appeals
Publisher’s Platform: Time for More Criminal Prosecutions in Food Poisoning Cases?
It has been a busy past several weeks for public health investigators (and lawyers) and uncomfortable (and sometimes deadly) for food poisoning victims, as well as for the management of several companies. Here are just
Continue Reading Publisher’s Platform: Time for More Criminal Prosecutions in Food Poisoning Cases?
Wilkerson Surrenders to Women’s Minimum-Security Prison in Florida
Mary Wilkerson, the former Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) quality assurance manager whom a jury found had lied to federal food safety investigators, surrendered Tuesday to a federal correctional institution in Marianna, FL. The 42-year-old
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Wilkerson Wants to Remain Free During Appeal; Ordered to Report Nov. 3
Only a quick motion for release on bond pending appeal can keep Mary Wilkerson from having to report to a federal women’s prison on Nov. 3, now less than two weeks away. Her attorney filed
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ICYMI: In Case You Missed It
In case you missed it, here are some of the top food safety stories from last week: PCA Sentencing: Stewart Parnell, former CEO of the now-defunct Peanut Corporation of America (PCA), was sentenced to 28
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Letter From the Editor: Parnell Crossed a Long-Existing Line
Since the sentencing of the Peanut Corporation of America criminal cases, some may be wondering if anything has really changed. The longest prison sentences ever handed out for food safety violations would, on the surface,
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Praise for an Unlikely ‘Whistleblower’
Kenneth Kendrick, missing Monday from the federal courthouse in Albany, GA, did not hear the praise that came from a witness during a pivotal day in the world of food safety. Kendrick is a former
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Guilty Verdict Puts Food Safety Responsibility Where It Belongs
Guilty! The perpetrator of the 2008-09 Salmonella outbreak, Stewart Parnell of the Peanut Corporation of America, just received a 28-year sentence for knowingly distributing Salmonella-containing peanuts. The familiar refrain will be that this is
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PCA Does Not Reflect All in the Food Industry
Michael Parnell’s defense attorney is painting his client as a “little guy” who “lost it all.” I would dare Parnell and his defense team, and the other convicted former Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) executives,
Continue Reading PCA Does Not Reflect All in the Food Industry
Parnell Defense Attorneys: Outbreak Victims Are Not ‘Crime Victims’
In a legal move that, if successful, could significantly reduce sentences for Stewart and Michael Parnell, defense attorneys in the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) criminal case have presented arguments that individual victims of an
Continue Reading Parnell Defense Attorneys: Outbreak Victims Are Not ‘Crime Victims’