OTHER NEWS - Nov. 24, 1994

Libel Ruling Upheld Against Philadelphia Inquirer: A state appeals court has upheld a libel ruling against The Philadelphia Inquirer while reducing damages from a total of $34 million to $24 million. The newspaper plans to appeal. A Philadelphia jury in 1990 awarded former prosecutor Richard A. Sprague $2.5 million in compensatory damages and $31.5 million in punitive damages. At the time, the combined award was the largest libel verdict on record involving the news media in the United States. The current record is a $58-million judgment awarded against a Dallas television station. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of state Superior Court let stand the compensatory damages but reduced punitive damages to $21.5 million, saying the original award was excessive.