Quick Facts
Biography
Carl Joseph Barbier (born 1944) is a United States federal judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Early life and education
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, Barbier attended West Jefferson High School before receiving a B.A. from Southeastern Louisiana University in 1966 and a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans School of Law in 1970. He was a law clerk to William Redman, Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit from 1969 to 1970, and to Fred Cassibry, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana from 1970 to 1971.
Career
Barbier was in private practice in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1971 to 1998.
Judicial service
On May 19, 1998, Barbier was nominated by President Bill Clinton to a seat on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana vacated by Okla Jones. Barbier was confirmed by the United States Senate on September 28, 1998, and received his commission on October 1, 1998.
In August 2010 he was appointed to hear the cases in the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. It is expected that at least 300 cases will be consolidated in his court.
On November 14, 2011, Barbier ruled that BP, the company that leased the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, must face federal maritime lawsuits by Alabama and Louisiana. On September 4, 2014, he further found BP to be grossly negligent in the spill, attributing 67% of the blame to the company. As a result, the company may be liable for as much as $18 billion in fines under the Clean Water Act.