Today, the Oregon federal district court in Eugene was scheduled to begin trying the case “Juliana versus the United States”, which seeks a declaration that the federal government violated the plaintiff’s constitutional rights, by causing dangerous carbon dioxide concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere.
The plaintiffs are twenty-one young people, now between the ages of eleven and twenty-two.
The Trump administration is trying to have the case thrown out, in contradiction of Oregon-based federal judge Anne Aiken’s order.
Recently, the Supreme Court issued a stay on the case, citing the cost of litigating it, and in response young people have taken to the streets in cities across the country, including in Portland at a rally this morning at Terry Schrunk Plaza in Downtown Portland, in support of the federal constitutional rights case “Juliana versus the United States”.
The plaintiffs filed a brief in the case today, in hopes of having the Chief Justice let it move forward by the end of the week.
KBOO’s Jenka Soderberg and Layla Kanaan [CAY-nen] were on the scene, and have this report.
- KBOO