Well, almost 20 years later the punitive damage part of the case has finally reached the Supreme Court. Lower courts have required that Exxon Mobile pay $2.5B to about 32,000 Alaskan fisherman and business, which equates to about $75,000 a piece.
Exxon claims this amounts to excessive punishment. (Nevermind the $2.5B is equal to about 3 weeks of income.) According to the New York Times, if the plaintiffs could just hold on to four votes, they would win the case. Since Justice Alito is not participating because he owns Exxon Mobile stock, a tie would affirm the appeals court’s judgment.
But what is sad is that the case is this close. It is living proof of what people feared when the neo-cons were permitted to appoint Justices to the court. Gone are the rights of the people, and in it's place are the rights of corporations to make profits. In fact yesterday it appeared that Chief Justice Roberts was actually blatantly defending Exxon. During oral arguments, Roberts stopped the plaintiff's attorney to ask “So what can a corporation do to protect itself against punitive-damages awards such as this?”
The lawyer responded “Well, it can hire fit and competent people.” The sound of laughter rippled through the courtroom, and the chief justice did not look amused.
People see through Roberts. He is intellectually dishonest. He rules not as an impartial judge, but as a Republican foot soldier. He does not do the people’s bidding, but instead uses each ruling as an attempt to impose this ideology on the country. His goal is not to serve as judge, but to shape society. He is the ultimate activist judge, installed to a life term in the highest court of the land.
At what point did the health of our planet, our country, the environment, and the well being of our citizens and small businesses take the backseat to big corporate greed? It's truly sad.
1 comment:
Unbelievable.
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