BURLINGTON, Vt. -
It's the state of Vermont versus Vermont Yankee on Monday in federal court.
The state is appealing last year's ruling that found Vermont lawmakers violated federal law by considering the safety of the nuclear plant when voting to not extend its operating license.
Vermont is spending big bucks to hire outside lawyers to argue the case before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Legal expert Cheryl Hanna of the Vermont Law School says that's a smart move.
"Unlike the trial court where the state's own lawyers argued the case, here the state has hired outside counsel to argue the case, a very, very competent lawyer who handles many of these high-profile cases. He is going up against Kathleen Sullivan for Entergy who's also really just one of the best constitutional lawyers in the country. So, in this case, nobody is going to be out-lawyered, I think, the way many people thought Vermont was out-lawyered at the trial court," Hanna said.
Hanna says it's tough to predict how the three-judge panel will rule. They are all relatively new to the court and don't have a long track record.
WCAX News Reporter Jennifer Reading will be in the courtroom for Monday's hearing. She will have live reports from New York City on the Channel 3 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
