A federal judge has ruled against California’s ban on selling and importing alligator and crocodile products.
U.S. District Court Chief Judge Kimberly Mueller issued the ruling March 6, more than three years after Louisiana joined retailers across the nation to sue the state for its decision to criminalize the products.
In the judgement, Mueller found federal Endangered Species Act rules allowing the import and sale of these products overruled the state’s ban.
“California law prohibits what the U.S. Department of Fish & Wildlife has authorized under the Endangered Species Act, so the state’s laws are preempted,” Mueller wrote….