Court Approves Proposition 65 Settlement For Anheuser-Busch, LLC; Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Heineken USA Incorporated; Beam Inc.; Millercoors LLC; and Pernod Ricard USA, LLC
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) June 02, 2014 -- Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana granted Plaintiffs’ Motion to Approve a Consent Judgment on Friday, May 30, 2014, Case #BC537188. The Consent Judgment is between 4 California Plaintiffs and a group of Defendants made up of several of the largest alcohol manufacturing companies in the world, including: Anheuser-Busch, LLC; Bacardi U.S.A., Inc.; Heineken USA Incorporated; Beam Inc.; Millercoors LLC; Nolet Spirits U.S.A.; Pabst Brewing Company; and Pernod Ricard USA, LLC.
California Health and Safety Code § 25249.6 et seq. ("Proposition 65") requires warnings to be posted in all retail establishments that sell alcoholic beverages in the state of California regarding the potential detrimental effects of alcohol to pregnant women. As detailed in the Consent Judgment, beginning in March, 2013, the 4 Plaintiffs served 60-Day Notices on behalf of the general public of California to the Defendants alleging violations of Proposition 65. Specifically, the notices alleged that retail establishments across the state were selling the Defendants’ alcoholic beverage products without posting the Warning signs required by Proposition 65.
The approved Consent Judgment requires the Defendants to implement a new system of providing signage to retailers that sell their alcoholic beverage products. The Defendants are now required to send out signage every 5 years to each retail establishment in the state of California that is licensed to sell alcoholic beverage products, as well as to all new licensees every 6 months. The Defendants will also be required to create a website that allows licensees to download free Proposition 65-compliant warning signs. Additionally as part of the Consent Judgment the Defendants will pay civil penalties and the Plaintiffs’ attorney’s fees.
Vineet Dubey, a partner at Custodio & Dubey LLP, counsel representing the Plaintiffs, said, “We are very pleased that Judge Recana approved the Consent Judgment and found that its terms are in the public interest of the people of California. This ruling helps strengthen the nation’s most effective consumer protection law, Proposition 65. We worked extensively with the California Office of the Attorney General in order to ensure that the new alcoholic beverage signage program required by this judgment will remedy the violations that were occurring throughout the state.”
For more information, please contact:
Vineet Dubey, [email protected] at Custodio & Dubey LLP http://www.cd-lawyers.com
Vineet Dubey, Custodio & Dubey LLP, +1 (310) 980-3889, [email protected]
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