Most Supreme Verdict: Unanimous Verdict Rule to Only Be Applied Going Forward

The Supreme Court ruled that its prior decision requiring unanimous verdicts in criminal trials will only be applied going forward and is not applicable retroactively, according to an article from CNN. The 6-3 majority opinion was written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh and comes as a blow to hundreds of people in Louisiana, Oregon and Puerto Rico, where non-unanimous jury verdicts were permitted prior to last year’s Ramos v. Louisiana case. Justice Elena Kagan penned the dissent.

Most Fatal Verdict: Brandon Berry Convicted in Murder of Autistic Man He Said Sexually Assaulted a Child 

Brandon Berry of Jackson County, Alabama, was convicted of murder and kidnapping, both in the first degree, according to an article from WAFF 48. Berry was charged with the 2018 “killing and burying” of David Christen Lorenzo Rivamonte, an autistic man who Berry said admitted to sexually assaulting a 10 year old child. Berry is expected to be sentenced at the end of June.

Most Financial Verdict: Patterson + Sheridan Wins $13M for CloudofChange in Patent Infringement Case

Intellectual property law firm Patterson + Sheridan won a $13.2 million jury verdict on behalf of CloudofChange in a patent infringement case, according to an article from Yahoo! Finance. CloudofChange alleged NCR infringed on point-of-sale tech patents, and to that end, generated at least $100 million in revenues. “The seven-person jury also determined that the infringement was willful, which could result in as much as a tripling of the actual damages award,” according to the article.

Most Residential Verdict: Orange Beach Developer Wins $3.78M After Accusing Building Dept. of Meddling in His Business Affairs

Ian Boles, an Orange Beach developer and resident, won $3.78 million in a judgment against the City after arguing he lost rental income and potential development due to being targeted by the Building Department, according to information from OBA Website. The bulk of the award was comprised of $2.4 million in “lost future profits in possible duplex construction.” Additionally, Boles also sued the city’s building official, Lannie Smith, separately, but that matter was settled out of court, notes the article.

Most International Verdict: In Landmark Case, Shell Ordered to Cut Carbon Emissions

Royal Dutch Shell has been ordered to cut its carbon emissions by a court in the Netherlands, according to an article from Forbes. Judge Larisa Alwin ruled Shell must reduce greenhouse emissions “45% by 2030 from 2019 levels.” Shell’s existing mitigation plan was found to be insufficient. “The court also ruled that Shell is responsible for emissions from its customers and suppliers, known as scope 3 emissions, and further that Shell’s activities constituted a threat to the ‘right to life’ and ‘undisturbed family life,’ as set out in the European Convention on Human Rights,” the article notes.