1.   Advocates of tort reform say the business climate is being hurt by unmerited lawsuits and damage awards.

2.   Do constitutional principles apply to damage awards?

3.   However, there were no reported cases of damage awards or sheriffs removed from office.

4.   In exchange, the companies would be protected from punitive damage awards on past misconduct but not future misconduct.

5.   In Milwaukee, numerous civil rights lawsuits led to monetary damage awards to victims of police actions.

6.   Or, he can plead with the judge to cut the damage award.

7.   Punitive damage awards often run into the millions of dollars, some-times hundreds of millions.

8.   That would afford him some shelter from some creditors but would not discharge these damage awards.

9.   The judgment reflected a refusal by the court to limit punitive damage awards.