Groundskeeper accepts reduced $78 million Monsanto verdict

On Wednesday, DeWayne Johnson announced that he would accept the San Francisco Superior Court judge’s “reduced verdict of $78 million” NBC, WMC5, October 31, 2018. By not contesting Judge Suzanne Bolanos’ decision to reduce the jury’s original and unanimous $289 million dollar award there will be no second trial and the verdict against Monsanto will stand.

(A big thanks to RFK Jr., as well, who served as one of DeWayne Johnson’s attorney’s. He is a colleague that we really respect.)

It’s officially on the books. Of course, they plan to appeal, but then they have announced they plan to appeal “every adverse verdict” NBC, WMC5, October 31, 2018 and there could be up to 8,000 of them.

No side effects you’re told, yet $289 million in damages suggest otherwise

“Johnson’s spokeswoman Robin McCall says his attorney disagrees with the judge’s settlement reduction, but will accept the lower amount in hopes of achieving ‘a final resolution within his lifetime.'”¹

Originally, the jury awarded $250 million in punitive damages to Johnson but Judge Bolanos ruled that the amount was too high and reduced the punitive damage to $39 million (punitive damages are designed to punish companies that juries determine have purposely misbehaved so as to deter others from operating in the same manner).