Alabama's Republican-controlled Supreme Court overturned a $3.6 billion judgment for the state and against oil giant ExxonMobil. With the Bush economy going in the tank, Alabama sure could use that money now.
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Widespread news reports indicate American oil companies are enjoying record profits, with ExxonMobil leading the way.
Those news reports have a particular resonance in Alabama. That's because last fall the eight Republicans on the Alabama Supreme Court overturned a jury verdict that awarded the state $3.6 billion in a natural-gas royalties case against ExxonMobil.
The jury had found that ExxonMobil committed fraud and awarded a whopping amount in punitive damages. But in an 8-1 decision (with the court's lone Democrat dissenting), the Alabama Supreme Court overturned the verdict.
In the aftermath of that ruling, it was widely reported that Republicans on the court had taken large campaign contributions from ExxonMobil and other big-oil interests.
Alabama's Republican Governor, Bob Riley, did not even seek to have the ruling reheard. And he did not attempt an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, evidently understanding that a halfway honest brief would have exposed the unlawful actions of his GOP compadres. Riley, after all, was placed in office with the same corporate backing that packed the Alabama Supreme Court with Republicans.
Think that $3.6 billion might have come in handy?
Authors Bio:I live in Birmingham, Alabama, and work in higher education. I became interested in justice-related issues after experiencing gross judicial corruption in Alabama state courts. This corruption has a strong political component. The corrupt judges are all Republicans, and the attorney who filed a fraudulent lawsuit against me has strong family ties to the Alabama Republican Party, with indirect connections to national figures such as Karl Rove. In fact, a number of Republican operatives who have played a central role in the prosecution of former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman (a Democrat) also have connections to my case.
I am married, with no kids and two Siamese cats. I am the author of the blog Legal Schnauzer. The blog is written in honor of Murphy, our miniature schnauzer (1993-2004)who did so much to help my wife and me survive our nightmarish experience with corrupt judges.
I grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and I am pretty much a lifelong St. Louis Cardinal baseball fan. I've lived in Birmingham for almost 30 years and have adopted the UAB Blazers as my Southern college football and basketball team to follow. Also, follow East Tennessee State basketball.
An avid reader, both fiction and non-fiction. Influential writers on public affairs are Kevin Phillips, Michael Lind, Thomas Edsall, E.J. Dionne, Molly Ivins, and Scott Horton.