Sara Lee Litigation
FOX 17 News
January 1, 2000
10:00 P.M.
David Bailey: For Ruth Boles the journey has been long and hard. She was poisoned 3 years ago after eating deli turkey meat from Sara Lee. She spent 5 days in intensive care. She was one of the lucky ones. She survived. Boles was a part of the class-action lawsuit against the company and received more than $50,000 in damages as part of the settlement. Tonight she wants it opened up again. Outraged at the possibility Bilmar managers were aware of the poison danger.
Ruth: If the food killed people and it made them ill and they knew it could, I don't understand their thinking. How could they do such a thing?
David Bailey: That's why her Attorney Kenneth Moll is expected to file a motion to reopen the civil portion of the case. He is not only seeking additional damages for his clients in the class-action lawsuit, he also wants US Attorney Philip Green to charge Bilmar with a felony in the criminal portion of the case.
Ken Moll: There are employees that worked there that clearly knew that they were manufacturing, Sara Lee was manufacturing products that could kill its consumers, and they purposely hid this information. They purposely did not correct the problem.
Philip Green: I stand behind the decision that I made in this case.
David Bailey: But Green says he will not take another look at the criminal case. The US Attorney says the information that' s come to light is nothing new. They've had it for years. Green says his department made a complete investigation into all of the allegations.
Philip Green: There is simply no evidence to substantiate the claim that Sara Lee Bilmar knew that the meat was tainted when it left the plant.
David Bailey: ....energy level is still low these days, years after she was poisoned. Today she is not only fighting for her health, soon she could be fighting in court again. In Grand Rapids, David Bailey, FOX 17 News at 10.