Q: I just read an Associated Press article about the salmonella outbreak caused by the Peanut Corporation of America in 2008. It says that the company executive, Stewart Parnell, has not been sentenced. Why? It’s been seven years.
—Elwood Goda, Cumming
A: Peanut Corporation of America owner Stewart Parnell, his brother, Michael Parnell, and the former quality assurance manager of the company’s Georgia plant, Mary Wilkerson, are scheduled to be sentenced this summer, after the case was held up by an allegation of juror misconduct last fall and winter.
The three were convicted in September 2014 – the brothers of 97 felony counts and Wilkerson of one count of obstruction – but U.S. District Court Judge Louis Sands delayed sentencing while he considered whether jurors were swayed by information they received outside the courtroom.
After interviewing the jurors, Sands decided that only one claimed juror misconduct, but that overwhelming evidence was presented at the trial against the former PCA executives.
The attorneys for the Parnell brothers have said they will appeal the jury misconduct ruling.
Attorneys will return to court on July 1 to discuss pre-sentencing reports and restitution.
Sands temporarily sealed all the court records during the juror misconduct investigation and instructed attorneys not to talk to the media, so people outside the case didn’t know what was happening until he released the records in late May.
The salmonella outbreak linked to Peanut Corporation of America’s plant in Blakely in January 2009 was blamed for nine deaths and at least 714 illnesses nationwide.
Andy Johnston wrote this column; Allison Floyd contributed. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
