AP News, February 20th, 2007
In decisions Tuesday, the Supreme Court:
_Threw out a $79.5 million punitive damages award to a smoker's widow, a boon to businesses seeking stricter limits on big-dollar jury verdicts.
_Said a Florida death row prisoner lost an opportunity to challenge his conviction in the federal court system because he missed a one-year filing deadline.
_Vacated a $79 million award against Weyerhaeuser Co. in a lawsuit alleging the forest products company tried to monopolize the hardwood lumber market in the Pacific Northwest.
The court agreed to hear cases involving:
_Whether New York state's method of picking trial judges violates the Constitution by giving too much power to political bosses.
_Whether a man who pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm can be given a longer prison sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
Among the cases the court refused to hear:
_A lawsuit by Philip Morris against Minnesota alleging the state's 75-cent per pack health impact fee violates a contract with the cigarette company.
_Lawyer Geoffrey Fieger's appeal of a reprimand imposed by a Michigan court for his attacks on state judges.
_A New York City policy on holiday displays for its schools that allows Santa Claus, reindeers, Christmas trees and symbols of Jewish and Islamic holidays but prohibits nativity scenes. An appeals court upheld the policy.
_The challenge by Dr. Samuel Waksal of his seven-year prison sentence after the Supreme Court found unconstitutional provisions of federal sentencing guidelines that made them mandatory. Waksal pleaded guilty to conspiracy and securities fraud after admitting that he tipped his daughter to sell her shares in ImClone Systems Inc.
