--- title: Marler Clark Listeria Clients Speak at Cantaloupe Farmers Sentencing date: 2014-01-31T22:10:59-08:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/marler-clark-listeria-clients-speak-at-cantaloupe-farmers-sentencing" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # Marler Clark Listeria Clients Speak at Cantaloupe Farmers Sentencing AP’s Dan Elliott reported from Denver that two Colorado cantaloupe farmers linked to the nation’s deadliest outbreak of foodborne illness in a quarter-century were sentenced Tuesday to probation and home detention, but the judge said he wasn’t sending them to prison so they could work to pay off $150,000 each in restitution. Each will serve five years of probation and six months of home detention and perform 100 hours of community service. Before they were sentenced, Eric and Ryan Jensen read statements apologizing to the victims of the 2011 listeria outbreak, which killed 33 people and sickened 147 in 28 states, according to federal health authorities. - “I can’t begin to describe how ghastly it is to watch someone die,” said Patricia Hauser. She said her husband, Michael, suffered a slow and agonizing death. Occasionally looking toward the Jensen brothers as she spoke, Hauser said they should be sentenced to prison and fined. She told the judge she was “very bitter.” “Someone took my Michael from me, and it just isn’t fair,” she said. - Jim Weathered said his father, also named Jim, died of listeria but would have wanted probation for the Jensens. “Sending those boys to jail isn’t going to help anybody in this situation,” said Weathered, who often struggled to control his emotions during his brief statement. - Paul F. Schwarz said he would accept whatever sentence Hegarty handed down after the death of his father, Paul A. Schwarz. 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The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ Get a free consultation ](https://marlerclark.com/contact) ##### Related Resources ###### [Listeria Food Poisoning](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/about-listeria) What is Listeria and how does it cause food poisoning? Listeria is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium that is ubiquitous and can grow under either anaerobic (without oxygen) or aerobic (with... ###### [The Incidence of Listeria Infections](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/the-incidence-of-listeria-infections) How common are Listeria infections? Listeria bacteria are found widely in the environment in soil, including in decaying vegetation and water, and may be part of the fecal flora of... ###### [The Prevalence of Listeria in Food and the Environment](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/listeria-prevalence) Listeria bacteria are common in nature. Listeria monocytogenes is omnipresent in nature; it is found widely in such places as water, soil, infected animals, human and animal feces, raw and... ###### [Transmission of and Infection with Listeria](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/transmission-of-and-infection-with-listeria) Listeria typically spreads to people through contaminated food or water, but can also be transmitted from mother to fetus. Except for the transmission of mother to fetus, human-to-human transmission of... ###### [Who is Most at Risk of Becoming Ill with Listeria?](https://marlerclark.com/foodborne-illnesses/listeria/who-is-most-at-risk-for-becoming-ill-with-listeria) The elderly, pregnant women, and anyone immunocompromised is most at risk for contracting Listeria. Several segments of the population are at increased risk and need to be informed so that... ##### Outbreak Database #### Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks? The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more. [ View Outbreak Database ](https://outbreakdatabase.com)