Free Republic

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama's financially strapped government won an $11.9-billion verdict against Exxon Mobil Corp. on Friday in a suit that accused the oil giant of cheating the state out of natural gas royalties. The circuit court verdict included $11.8-billion in punitive damages, a record for Alabama and more than the state's attorneys had sought. The jury had to find Exxon Mobil committed fraud to return the multibillion-dollar verdict. "We felt Exxon thought they were going to get away with this," said jury foreman Joe King, a teacher. "We wanted to send a message that they were not, and that...