ENERGY
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Exxon Asks for Mistrial in Valdez Case: After its first week of deliberations, the eight-woman, three-man federal jury hearing the case sent a note to U.S. District Judge H. Russel Holland in Anchorage, saying it was unable to agree on an amount for punitive damages, plaintiffs’ attorney Brian O’Neill said, and Exxon Corp. asked for a mistrial based on the impasse. Holland told jurors to continue deliberating. About 14,000 fishermen, Alaska natives, property owners and others affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill are seeking $5 billion to $20 billion in punitive damages. Exxon says it shouldn’t pay any, having already paid $3.5 billion in cleanup costs, fines and other damage claims.
