newsmakers

newsmakers

Jury sides with Costner in lawsuit

NEW ORLEANS

A federal jury has rejected claims that Kevin Costner and his business partner duped fellow actor Stephen Baldwin and a friend out of millions of dollars from a BP contract for using oil cleanup devices in the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico spill.

The panel deliberated for less than two hours Thursday before delivering the verdict against a lawsuit brought by Baldwin and his friend, Spyridon Contogouris Their lawyer had asked the eight-member jury to award the plaintiffs more than $17 million in damages. The jury gave them nothing.

Contogouris and Baldwin sold their shares in Ocean Therapy Solutions for $1.4 million and $500,000, respectively. Baldwin testified he would have held out for much more had he known BP had committed to ordering 32 centrifuges. Jurors heard closing arguments Thursday after eight days of testimony.

Associated Press