Could this be it? Could the saga over the White Marlin Open finally be over??
The saga may have finally reached its conclusion after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit refused to overturn the District Court's ruling. In case you haven't been following this story from the beginning, this is how a local Ocean City fishing tournament has made it to one of the highest courts in the land.
Phillip Heasley and his crew caught a 76.5 pound Marlin during the 2016 White Marlin Open. The crew was initially awarded the record-setting $2.8 million in prize money.
However, the tournament's rules stipulated that any prize exceeding half a million dollars would require the winning crew to pass a polygraph test. When the lie detector test was administered, three of the crew members passed but Heasley exhibited signs of deception. Lie detectors are not considered scientifically accurate and a failed test does not necessarily mean the test-taker was lying. Still, that was enough for the tournament's organizers to withhold the winnings.
What followed has been a two year legal battle. While the substance -- a fishing tournament -- might seem petty, the stakes couldn't be higher.
At the District Court level, Judge Bennett ruled that the tournament was perfectly justified in withholding the winnings because of a failed polygraph test. The practice is not uncommon in fishing tournaments and had been in the White Marlin Open's rules since the mid-2000's. But the District Judge went one step further and ruled that based on testimony and the boat's logs, the crew likely put their lines in the water before the start of the tournament. If true, that alone would be grounds for disqualification.
He reached that conclusion by comparing the crew's testimony to the boat's speed log. At around 8:04 a.m. on the day of the tournament, Heasley's boat slowed down to just seven knots, which is trolling speed. That's when the fisherman drop their lines and sail the ship slowly to allow the line to drag behind the boat. While it was accepted that the prize Marlin was brought aboard at 8:58 a.m. -- well past the tournament's 8:30 start time -- the crew members gave conflicting testimony about how long it took to reel the fish in and none of the testimony suggested that the lines were dropped after 8:30. The District Judge ruled on behalf of the tournament.
Heasley appealed to the Fourth Circuit, but the panel came back this week with a ruling upholding the District Judge's decision.
We have reviewed the record and find no reversible error. Accordingly, we affirm for the reasons stated by the district court. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process. In accordance with the decision of this court, the judgement of the district court is affirmed.”
Organizers of the White Marlin Open celebrated the Appeals Court's opinion, saying they were "excited to put the 2018 tournament behind us." However, Heasley still does have one play left: He can appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
It's unclear whether Heasley will appeal, but it would definitely be an uphill climb considering that the Appeals Court panel was so confident, they dispensed with oral arguments all together.
Who's the biggest winner in all of this? Richard Kosztyu and the crew of the Hubris. Though they didn't catch a White Marlin back in 2016, they did catch a 236-pound tuna. If the Appeals Court ruling holds, they stand to earn an additional $2.05 million in prize money.
What do you think? Should Heasley appeal to the Supreme Court or is it time to move beyond this fiasco once and for all? Let us know in the comment section below!