(Friend of the Court Briefs will be allowed)…That was the decision of the 4th Appellate District Court of Appeal.

The Amicus Briefs are in the Michael Abatti, et al versus Imperial Irrigation district case. According to the order issued by the Court, any party to the appeal has 20 days to file an answer to the amicus briefs. The briefs are filed by third parties who have a strong interest in the court’s ruling and offer additional information, expertise or insight into the subject matter. In September 2017, the IID filed its appeal of the August 2017 decision by an Imperial County Superior Court Judge. The decision ruled against the District invalidating IID’s method of apportioning water, known as the Equitable Distribution Plan, based on the conclusion that agricultural landowners owned the water rights held by the District.