Coalition for Free Trade Comments on Federal Judge's Ruling that Virginia's Ban on Wine Direct Shipping is Unconstitutional.News Desks/Food, Beverage & Government Writers SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 1, 2002 U.S. District Court Judge Richard Williams ruled March 29 that Virginia's current ban on interstate wine direct shipments to consumers is unconstitutional. A stay was issued this morning. "Judge Williams courageously struck down Virginia's antiquated statutory scheme, ushering in Noun 1. ushering in - the introduction of something new; "it signalled the ushering in of a new era" first appearance, introduction, debut, entry, launching, unveiling - the act of beginning something new; "they looked forward to the debut of their new product line" a new era of market access for out-of-state wineries," said Tracy Genesen, a grape grower, and the legal director for the Coalition for Free Trade, a non-profit organization A non-profit organization (abbreviated "NPO", also "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is a legally constituted organization whose primary objective is to support or to actively engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit purposes. seeking judicial relief from laws prohibiting the direct shipment of wine. "In addition, this groundbreaking decision gives Virginia consumers the freedom to purchase the wines they want in the manner of their choosing. This is a huge victory for wineries, wine consumers, and the plaintiff's attorneys," she added. Matthew S. Hale, a Virginia attorney, and Daniel R. Ortiz, a University of Virginia law professor, represented the plaintiffs, which included three out-of-state wineries and two Virginia residents, including Clint Bolick Clint Bolick (born December 26,1957 in Elizabeth, New Jersey[1]), is the director of the Goldwater Institute Center for Constitutional Litigation in Phoenix, Arizona. , an attorney for Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Justice. The Coalition for Free Trade is assisting winery and consumer plaintiffs with five additional lawsuits, challenging outright bans on interstate wine direct shipments into New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , Florida, North Carolina North Carolina, state in the SE United States. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean (E), South Carolina and Georgia (S), Tennessee (W), and Virginia (N). Facts and Figures Area, 52,586 sq mi (136,198 sq km). Pop. , Texas and Michigan. |
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