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COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2011
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES [Abstract]  
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
(21) 
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
 
From time to time, the Partnership is subject to various claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business.  In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on the Partnership.
 
On May 2, 2008, the Partnership received a copy of a petition filed in the District Court of Gregg County, Texas by Scott D. Martin (the “Plaintiff”) against Ruben S. Martin, III (the “Defendant”) with respect to certain matters relating to Martin Resource Management.  In May 2009, the lawsuit went to trial and on June 18, 2009, the Court entered a judgment adverse to the Defendant which contained monetary damages and specific performance components (the “Judgment”).   The Defendant appealed the Judgment.  On November 3, 2010, the Court of Appeals, Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana, issued an opinion on the appeal overturning the Judgment.  The Appellate Court's opinion rendered a take-nothing judgment against the Plaintiff and found in favor of the Defendant.  The Supreme Court of Texas denied the Plaintiff's petition for review and therefore the opinion of the Sixth Appellate District of Texas at Texarkana has become final.
 
On September 5, 2008, the Plaintiff and one of his affiliated partnerships (the “SDM Plaintiffs”), on behalf of themselves and derivatively on behalf of Martin Resource Management, filed suit in a Harris County, Texas district court (the “Harris County Litigation”) against Martin Resource Management, the Defendant, Robert Bondurant, Donald R. Neumeyer and Wesley M. Skelton, in their capacities as directors of Martin Resource Management (the “MRMC Director Defendants”), as well as 35 other officers and employees of Martin Resource Management (the “Other MRMC Defendants”). In addition to their respective positions with Martin Resource Management, Robert Bondurant, Donald Neumeyer and Wesley Skelton are officers of the Partnership's general partner. The Partnership is not a party to this lawsuit, and it does not assert any claims (i) against the Partnership, (ii) concerning the Partnership's governance or operations, or (iii) against the MRMC Director Defendants or other MRMC Defendants with respect to their service to the Partnership.
 
The SDM Plaintiffs allege, among other things, that the MRMC Director Defendants have breached their fiduciary duties owed to Martin Resource Management and the SDM Plaintiffs, entrenched their control of Martin Resource Management and diluted the ownership position of the SDM Plaintiffs and certain other minority shareholders in Martin Resource Management, and engaged in acts of unjust enrichment, excessive compensation, waste, fraud and conspiracy with respect to Martin Resource Management. The SDM Plaintiffs seek, among other things, to rescind the June 2008 issuance by Martin Resource Management of shares of its common stock under its 2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan to the Other MRMC Defendants, remove the MRMC Director Defendants as officers and directors of Martin Resource Management, prohibit the Defendants, Wesley M. Skelton and Robert Bondurant from serving as trustees of the MRMC Employee Stock Ownership Trust (the “ESOT”), and place all of the Martin Resource Management common shares owned or controlled by the Defendant in a constructive trust that prohibits him from voting those shares.  The SDM Plaintiffs have amended their Petition to eliminate their claims regarding rescission of the issue by Martin Resource Management of shares of its common stock to the MRMC Employee Stock Ownership Plan. The case was abated in July 2009 during the pendency of a mandamus proceeding in the Texas Supreme Court. The Supreme Court denied mandamus relief on November 20, 2009.  This lawsuit was amended to add the ESOT as a party and was subsequently removed to Federal Court by the ESOT.  This lawsuit was remanded from Federal Court to the State District Court and is set for trial in May of 2012 but is currently stayed pending the outcome of procedural matters pending in the appellate courts.
 
The lawsuits described above are in addition to (i) a separate lawsuit filed in July 2008 in a Gregg County, Texas district court by the daughters of the Defendant against Scott Martin, both individually and in his capacity as trustee of the Ruben S. Martin, III Dynasty Trust, which suit alleges, among other things, that he has engaged in self-dealing in his capacity as a trustee under the trust, which holds shares of Martin Resource Management common stock, and has breached his fiduciary duties owed to the plaintiffs, who are beneficiaries of such trust, and (ii) a separate lawsuit filed in October 2008 in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by Angela Jones Alexander against the Defendant and Karen Yost in their capacities as a former trustee and a trustee, respectively, of the R.S. Martin Jr. Children Trust No. One (f/b/o Angela Santi Jones), which holds shares of Martin Resource Management common stock, which suit alleges, among other things that the Defendant and Karen Yost breached fiduciary duties owed to Angela Jones Alexander, who is the beneficiary of such trust, and seeks to remove Karen Yost as the trustee of such trust. With respect to the lawsuit described in (i) above, the Partnership has been informed that the Plaintiff has resigned as a trustee of the Ruben S. Martin, III Dynasty Trust. With respect to the lawsuit described in (ii) above, Angela Jones Alexander amended her claims to include her grandmother, Margaret Martin, as a defendant, but subsequently dropped her claims against Mrs. Martin.  Additionally, all claims pertaining to Karen Yost have been resolved.  All claims pertaining to Defendant have been preliminarily resolved, as the court, on February 9, 2011, issued an order that granted the parties' Joint Motion for Administrative Closure.  With respect to the lawsuit referenced in (i) above, the case was tried in October 2009 and the jury returned a verdict in favor of the Defendant's daughters against Scott Martin in the amount of $4,900.  On December 22, 2009, the court entered a judgment, reflecting an amount consistent with the verdict and additionally awarded attorneys' fees and interest. On January 7, 2010, the court modified its original judgment and awarded the Defendant's daughters approximately $2,700 in damages and attorneys' fees, plus interest. Scott Martin has appealed the judgment and such appeal is still pending.
 
On September 24, 2008, Martin Resource Management removed Plaintiff as a director of the general partner of the Partnership. Such action was taken as a result of the collective effect of Plaintiff's then recent activities, which the board of directors of Martin Resource Management determined was detrimental to both Martin Resource Management and the Partnership. The Plaintiff does not serve on any committees of the board of directors of the Partnership's general partner. The position on the board of directors of the Partnership's general partner vacated by the Plaintiff may be filled in accordance with the existing procedures for replacement of a departing director utilizing the Nominations Committee of the board of directors of the general partner of the Partnership. This position on the board of directors has been filled as of July 26, 2010, by Charles Henry “Hank” Still.
 
On February 22, 2010, as a result of the Harris County Litigation being derivative in nature, Martin Resource Management formed a special committee of its board of directors and designated such committee as the Martin Resource Management authority for the purpose of assessing, analyzing and monitoring the Harris County Litigation and any other related litigation and making any and all determinations in respect of such litigation on behalf of Martin Resource Management.  Such authorization includes, but is not limited to, reviewing the merits of the litigation, assessing whether to pursue claims or counterclaims against various persons or entities, assess whether to appoint or retain experts or disinterested persons to make determinations in respect of such litigation, and advising and directing Martin Resource Management's general counsel and outside legal counsel with respect to such litigation.  The special committee consists of Robert Bondurant, Donald R. Neumeyer and Wesley M. Skelton.
 
On May 4, 2010, the Partnership received a copy of a petition filed in a new case with the District Clerk of Gregg County, Texas by Martin Resource Management against the Plaintiff and others with respect to certain matters relating to Martin Resource Management. As noted above, the Plaintiff was a former director of Martin Resource Management.  The lawsuit alleges that the Plaintiff with help from others breached the fiduciary duties the Plaintiff owed to Martin Resource Management.   The Partnership is not a party to the lawsuit, and the lawsuit does not assert any claims (i) against the Partnership, (ii) concerning the Partnership's governance or operations, or (iii) against the Plaintiff with respect to his service as an officer or former director of the general partner of the Partnership. With respect to this lawsuit, the case was tried in January 2012 and the jury returned a verdict in favor of Martin Resource Management against Scott D. Martin for breach of fiduciary duty and awarded an amount of $1,800.
 
Additionally, on July 11, 2011, Scott D. Martin sued Martin Resource Management in State District Court in Harris County, Texas, alleging that it tortuously interfered with his rights under an existing insurance policy.  A motion to transfer this case to Gregg County, Texas is currently pending.