A jury acquitted five poultry industry executives in the third price-fixing trial brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), including Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg LLP (RJLF) client Roger Austin, a former vice president of Pilgrim's Pride, concerning an alleged scheme to fix prices and rig bids for chickens sold to grocery stores and restaurants.
The not guilty verdict was announced on July 7, 2022, after jurors deliberated for a day and a half, following a four-week trial before Chief Judge Philip A. Brimmer in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. This long-awaited victory follows two mistrials in December 2021 and March 2022 when jurors deadlocked after weeks of trial.