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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2002

A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Secretary of Interior Gale Norton to show cause why she should not be held in contempt for her handling of manatees.

U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan sits on the same court as U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, who has held Norton in contempt for the Indian trust fund. "I don't know if it's willful or just another instance of government bungling," Sullivan said yesterday, according to The Naples Daily News. "This is just another effort on the part of the federal government to not comply with this court's orders."

Sullivan had told the Department of Interior to finalize a list of manatee protection measures by November 1. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finished the work but failed to submit it to the Federal Register on time to meet the deadline.

Sullivan was threatening to haul Norton personally into court, The Orlando Sentinel reported.

Get the Story:
Federal judge 'astonished' by government's delay in naming manatee protection zones (The Naples Daily News 11/6)
Judge presses manatee protection (The Naples Daily News 11/6)
Judge seeks explanations from wildlife officials (The Daytona Beach News-Journal 11/6)

Related Stories:
Norton faces another contempt citation (10/02)