Exxon Mobile beats Alabama State in Legal Dispute by Barbora Kasparova

Exxon Mobile, the controversial world's largest corporation has won one of its cases (another one - Exxon Valdez Oil Spill case is still on Appeal to the United States Supreme Court) and is saved from paying $3.6 billion. The Supreme Court of Alabama ruled in its favor on Thursday in a dispute over natural gas royalties with the State of Alabama. Exxon Mobile was sued by the Alabama State (the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) in 1999. The Alabama State claimed the corporation intentionally underpaid the state for royalties and accused the company of fraud. The Exxon Mobile representatives objected it was a mere contractual dispute that was the issue. "It affirms what we've said all along that this was never a fraud case," Dave Boyd, Exxon Mobile attorney declared after yesterday's court decision. In 2003 decision, the Montgomery Court ruled in favor of the State of Alabama and as the judge cut the jury verdict, the total damages came down to $ 3.6 billion dollars. On Thursday Nov 01st, the Alabama Supreme Court issued a ruling, by which it overrode the punitive damages clause (which constituted a 3.5 billion dollars) and kept the compensatory damages of 51.9 million for the breach of contract for Exxon Mobile to pay to the State of Alabama. The case was sent back to the circuit court to specify the interest of the sum. As Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court Tom Parker stated: "The State bore the burden of proof on its fraud claim, and it did not present substantial evidence…"

related story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071101/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/venezuela_protest;_ylt=AhOmTMF8XUmFCabVk7aTDtms0NUE

by Barbora Kasparova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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