Today was supposed to be the day a California superior court judge decided heard arguments on whether to turn a temporary restraining order barring implementation of AB1735’s coliform standard into a more extended preliminary injunction.

After more than four hours of arguments and testimony, the proceedings weren’t anywhere near completion, so the judge, Harry Tobias, extended the temporary restraining order he ordered last month for another three weeks, until May 16, when the parties will meet again at a courtroom in Hollister. "We’re kind of like at half time," Gary Cox, the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund attorney representing plaintiffs Organic Pastures Dairy Co. and Claravale Farm  told me after the session.

During today’s session, Gary and the lawyer representing the California Department of Food and Agriculture argued over procedural matters–primarily whether witnesses should be allowed to testify. In the end, the judge allowed two plaintiff witnesses–Ted Beals, a pathologist, and Ron Hull, a microbiologist–to testify.

As they had at the California Senate hearing on raw milk last week, the two experts testified about the role of bacteria in both triggering and protecting against illness, and how different bacteria play different roles in the human body. They cited research about the importance of probiotics in strengthening immunity.

At the May 16 hearing, the state will be allowed to cross-examine Ted and Ron. It will also be allowed to present its own witnesses. As usual, these matters take longer than expected. The good news, in addition to the extension of the TRO, is that the judge is getting to hear lots of research about the science behind both raw milk and pasteurized milk. That can only help, right?