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UPDATE 1-US top court rejects Massey Energy damages appeal

Mon Dec 1, 2008 10:23am EST

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WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday it had rejected an appeal by coal miner Massey Energy Co (MEE.N) of a jury award of $100 million in punitive damages to Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp in a contract dispute.

A jury in West Virginia awarded $119 million in compensatory damages and $100 million in punitive damages in a lawsuit by Wheeling-Pittsburgh alleging breach of contract and fraud after Massey failed to supply the required amounts of coal.

Massey, based in Richmond, Virginia, appealed to the Supreme Court. It challenged the punitive damages award as constitutionally excessive and raised other arguments.

But the high court rejected the appeal without comment. It sided with Wheeling-Pittsburgh, which had said review was not warranted to examine the trial court's findings of fact and conclusions of law upholding the punitive damages award. (Reporting by James Vicini, Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and John Wallace)

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