A post-trial hearing ended today with a request to "shed sunshine"
over a multi-million dollar verdict issued against Chesapeake Energy
By Bob Weaver
A hearing today in Spencer regarding damages linked to a $404 million verdict issued by a Roane County jury in January came to a halt at noon.
At issue is $220 million in punitive damages.
David Hedges, publisher of Spencer Newspapers, asked the court to re-consider a decision to close the proceedings to the public.
Judge Thomas Evans III was hearing post-trial motions from lawyers for 8,000 WV plaintiffs and Chesapeake Energy, the nation's third largest energy producer.
Judge Evans told Hedges the court would hear his request next Monday afternoon at 3 p.m. Evans advised the publisher to obtain counsel to represent his argument.
Hedges said "I don't understand why they need to have a closed proceeding, since no jury is present."
Closing the proceedings appeared to be associated with offers or discussions made earlier by the principal parties.
Both sides of the major class-action lawsuit presented arguments before Judge Evans throughout the morning.
George Scott (left) former Supreme Court Justice and one of several attorneys representing the plaintiffs, reminded the judge that Chesapeake is still deducting their production expenses after the Supreme Court ruled in the matter in 2006.
"They're still doing it!", he exclaimed.
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