East coast canker suit jury award $4.5 billion

A Fort Lauderdale jury on Tuesday awarded $4.5 billion to Broward County residents who claimed in a lawsuit they were unfairly compensated for the loss of approximately 133,000 citrus trees cut down because of canker.

Now, eyes shift to Lee County where a similar suit, which includes Cape Coral residents, awaits judgment. Some residents here are asking for up to $75,000 each. Cape residents lost thousands of trees several years ago, either because of canker or being exposed to it.

At right is a breakdown of trees lost in the state and in the area: