Garlock Won't Be Sanctioned for Removing Asbestos Claims, Judge Rules

DALLAS - A federal judge in Texas has denied a motion to assess attorneys' fees and sanctions against Garlock Inc. for removing nearly 100 asbestos cases to federal court after Federal-Mogul filed its Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition. Gill, et al. v. ACandS, et al., No. 01-2110 (N.D. Texas).

In an opinion issued Nov. 19, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeff Kaplan followed the decisions of at least five federal judges who have refused to award sanctions against defendants in the wake of their attempts to remove thousands of friction product claims on grounds they were related to the Federal-Mogul reorganization.

Garlock began …