This is a short diary with breaking news. My apologies for not having more information. Minutes ago Judge Stanwood Duval ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers was at fault in the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina and their failure led to massive flooding following the hurricane.
The ruling, reported on by Channel 4 in New Orleans, awarded approximately $719,000 to four sets of plaintiffs. This ruling, if it stands, could provide a precedent for many other cases that are currently waiting to be adjudicated.
It's important to remember that this is a District Court ruling. It will likely be appealed to the Fifth Circuit, which tends to be fairly conservative. In addition, either side would more than likely be willing to appeal this to the Supreme Court. And given the size and nature of this case, I wouldn't be surprised if the SCOTUS would be interested in hearing this case if it gets brought.
Again, this is breaking news. My apologies for the shortness of the diary. I'll update as I find more.
UPDATE: No additional news, but I wanted to put this into the story and not just a comment. Here is a link to the Southeastern Lousiana Red Cross.
Update 2: I'd like to thank soothsayer99 for pointing out this background and Crashing Vor for this phenomenal diary.