Bismarck, ND (March 5, 2025) — The North Dakota Supreme Court today denied a petition by Greenpeace organizations in the US and Greenpeace International for a change of venue as they defend against the SLAPP case brought by Energy Transfer in Morton County.
The North Dakota Supreme Court’s denial follows three prior denied motions to the Morton County court for change of venue.
“While we are disappointed with this outcome, we have always believed in the strength of our defense, and will continue to present our case,” said Greenpeace USA Senior Legal Advisor Deepa Padmanabha. “We trust that the jury will follow the facts and the law, and render a decision in our favor.”
“The fairness of a trial should be above any questioning. A jury drawn from a community heavily affected by the events Energy Transfer is attempting to blame on the defendants, shouldn’t bear the responsibility of deciding this case. It’s disappointing to learn the Supreme Court denied the motion, but we are confident in our defense and will continue to focus on winning at trial,” said Daniel Simons, Senior Legal Counsel, Greenpeace International.
Contact: Madison Carter, Greenpeace USA Senior Communications Specialist, [email protected]
Greenpeace USA is part of a global network of independent campaigning organizations that use peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. Greenpeace USA is committed to transforming the country’s unjust social, environmental, and economic systems from the ground up to address the climate crisis, advance racial justice, and build an economy that puts people first. Learn more at www.greenpeace.org/usa.
