The U.S. dropped charges against five of the 10 defendants in a price-fixing case that targeted chicken industry workers and executives at companies including Tyson Foods Inc., Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. and Perdue Farms LLC.
The move comes after jurors deadlocked in the case on Tuesday, causing a second mistrial after a different jury failed to reach a verdict in December. Justice Department lawyers asked U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer to dismiss charges against the five defendants “to streamline the case and conserve the resources of the court, the parties, and the public.” The judge agreed.
