Juror urges U.S. judge to uphold $80 million Roundup verdict against Bayer
Reuters | By Tina Bellon
Last week’s letter marks the second time jurors in the Roundup litigation called on judges to uphold their verdicts.
In October, several jurors who delivered a $289 million verdict against Monsanto, finding Roundup caused a man’s terminal cancer, wrote to the San Francisco trial court judge, asking her to “respect and honor the verdict.”
The judge ultimately upheld the jury’s finding but reduced the award to $78 million. The case is on appeal.
Legal experts at the time said the letters were unusual, as jurors generally do not engage with post-trial proceedings following a verdict.
Bayer on Monday said the letters deprived it of fair trials.
“The fact that jurors from both trials wrote letters in support of constitutionally impermissible verdicts is highly unusual, and generates further anti-Monsanto bias in the Bay Area that will infect future Roundup trials,” the company said.