Award halved in Blake death suit

An appeals court Friday upheld a civil judgment holding actor Robert Blake responsible for his wife’s death, but cut in half the $30 million he was ordered to pay her family.

The 2nd District appellate court ruled Friday that Blake’s attorney M. Gerald Schwartzbach failed to show there had been a trial error in the wrongful-death suit. Schwartzbach had argued before the court in January that his client had not received a fair trial, citing juror misconduct and insufficient instruction given to the jury.

The three-judge panel also ruled Friday that the damages the “Baretta” star was ordered to pay were “excessive” and should be reduced to $15 million.

“That’s still extraordinarily high under the facts of that case,” Blake’s attorney said of the reduced judgment. “There’s no way that amount is justified.”

Attorney Eric J. Dubin, who represented Bonny Lee Bakley’s children in the civil case, did not immediately return a request for comment.

In a criminal case, Blake was acquitted of murder.

-- Victoria Kim