Supreme Court rejects Louisiana dirt farmer's appeal

The Supreme Court has turned away an appeal from a Louisiana dirt farmer who complained that a local flood control district took his soil without paying enough for it.

The justices did not comment Monday in leaving in place a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling against Chad Jarreau of Cut Off, Louisiana.

The local government agency in charge of protection from hurricanes took the dirt from just under an acre of Jarreau's property to build up a nearby levee.

The agency initially paid him just $1,326. Jarreau won a judgment of $164,000 for the dirt after a trial, but ended up with less than $12,000 after the state high court ruled.

Jarreau had dug up most of his 17-acre tract and sold the dirt for use in construction projects.