The Alabama Supreme Court, by tossing nearly 99 percent of a $3.6 billion verdict against ExxonMobil, the world's, largest publicly traded oil company, has refused to play Santa to state taxpayers.

Lawsuits filed in Birmingham's federal court in recent months claim that popular restaurants, a movie theater chain and a ticket ordering service have violated a law that limits the amount of credit card information companies can print on customers' receipts.

The Alabama Legislature's Contract Review Committee on Thursday approved a contract to hire attorneys to represent the state in a massive lawsuit against 73 pharmaceutical companies.

The state Legislature may not have as much money to open up programs they wanted after the Alabama Court threw out nearly all of a record verdict against Exxon Mobile.

The Alabama Supreme Court, by tossing nearly 99 percent of a $3.6 billion verdict against ExxonMobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, has refused to play Santa to state taxpayers.

Alabama has developed a reputation for the nation's most expensive Supreme Court races during a 12 year battle that has changed the court from all Democratic to overwhelmingly Republican.

Overturning Exxon verdict appears political, Gov. Bob Riley's legal adviser seemed surprised that the Alabama Supreme Court struck down the record $3.6 billion verdict for the state against the ExxonMobil Corp. in a dispute over natural gas pumped from Mobile Bay.

Gov. Bob Riley said Friday it probably wouldn't do any good to ask the Alabama Supreme Court to reconsider its 8-1 decision throwing out nearly all of a $3.6 billion judgment the state won against Exxon Mobil.

The Alabama Supreme Court has thrown out nearly all of a record $3.6 billion verdict that the state government won against Exxon Mobil in a dispute over natural gas royalties.

The Alabama Supreme Court on Thursday threw out nearly all of a record $3.6 billion verdict that the state government won against Exxon Mobil Corp. in a dispute over natural gas royalties.