To make the case easier for the jury to understand and consider, Judge Holland had divided the case into three phases.

Tomorrow morning I'm going to get hold of Judge Holland and ask him to go over it with me.

He had a good relationship with Judge Holland.

He said his clients were happy with their settlement in 1991, since Judge Holland held shortly thereafter that they had no standing to sue.

When he was in private practice, Judge Holland represented several oil companies, including the Mobil Corporation.

"The fines that were proposed to me were simply not adequate," said Judge Holland.

From where we sit, Judge Holland's $4.5 billion figure does not seem excessive.

The two men will be sentenced in August or September, Judge Holland said.

In 2002, Judge Holland did reduce it, to $4 billion, although he noted that he thought a $5 billion award was justified.

In yesterday's decision, Judge Holland again asserted that a $5 billion award was justified but imposed an intermediate amount, of $4.5 billion.