Gavel Grab

West Virginia’s state Supreme Court on Thursday declined to reconsider its decision last November overturning a $50 million jury verdict against Massey Energy, the Charleston Gazette reported.

The November decision was rendered after Justice Brent Benjamin removed himself from the case, complying with a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Caperton v. Massey. The nation’s highest court ruled that excessive campaign spending in a judicial election could force elected judges to step aside from some cases involving campaign supporters.

Chief Executive Officer Don Blankenship of Massey spent $3 million to help  Benjamin win election in 2004. You can read more about the business dispute, and about the related U.S. Supreme Court case, in Gavel Grab. You also can visit Justice at Stake’s online Caperton v. Massey resource page, which includes JAS’s amicus brief to the high court.