Supreme Court to rule on punitives in Exxon Valdez case; Arguments hinge on whether maritime law allows $2.5 billion award.(News)

Byline: MARK A. HOFMANN

WASHINGTON-The Supreme Court is weighing the question of whether a $2.5 billion punitive damage award stemming from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill should be allowed to stand.

The justices last week heard arguments in Exxon Shipping Co. vs. Grant Baker, which arose from the massive oil spill that resulted when the vessel struck a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The accident occurred after the captain of the vessel, Joseph Hazelwood, violated company policy by both leaving the bridge and by drinking. Among the key questions before the court is whether the punitive damages award-half the sum originally assessed but still the …