A judge has reduced the damages awarded to the family of Gregory de Villers, who was killed by his wife, Kristin Rossum, from $ 104.5 million to 14.5 million. Rossum was employed as a toxicologist with the county of San Diego, and poisoned her husband with drugs stolen from the Medical Examiner's office.
A jury had determined that Rossum should pay $4.5 million to the de Villers family as compensation for their loss and $100 million to prevent her from profiting if she were to sell the rights to her story in a book or movie deal.
Judge John S. Meyer reduced the punitive damages from $100 million to $10 million, finding the ratio between the punitive and compensatory damage amounts was too large and therefore violated due process. The award of $4.5 million compensatory damages stands. Meyer ordered the county of San Diego, which had employed Rossum, to also pay the de Villers family more than $27,500 to cover costs incurred before and during the trial.
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