Jury sides with Kevin Costner in BP spill lawsuit

By Michael Kunzelman

Associated Press

Published: Friday, June 15 2012 6:31 a.m. MDT

Stephen Baldwin, right arrives with his attorney Leo Palazzo at Federal Court on Thursday, June 14, 2012 in New Orleans. A jury is set to hear closing arguments in the trial for Baldwin's lawsuit against Kevin Costner over their multimillion dollar business dispute in the aftermath of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The lawsuit accuses Costner and Smith of duping Baldwin and friend Spyridon Contogouris over their investments in an oil cleanup device that BP used after the spill.

Gerald Herbert, Associated Press

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Summary

Kevin Costner says his reputation was at stake as he defended himself against accusations that he cheated fellow actor Stephen Baldwin out of millions of dollars in a lucrative BP contract for oil-cleaning machines after the 2010 spill.

NEW ORLEANS — Kevin Costner says his reputation was at stake as he defended himself against accusations that he cheated fellow actor Stephen Baldwin out of millions of dollars in a lucrative BP contract for oil-cleaning machines after the 2010 spill.

Baldwin and a friend were seeking $17 million in damages, saying they could have made at least that much in the deal. A federal jury sided with Costner and gave them nothing.

Costner smiled and shook his attorney's hand as a grim-faced Baldwin left the courtroom.

After a two-week trial, eight jurors deliberated for less than two hours before giving their decision in the lawsuit brought by Baldwin and his friend, Spyridon Contogouris.

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3grandslams

Iowa City, IA

Now I understand why the Obama administration refused so much international help and was so slow in cleaning up the oil spill (which actually disapated more than got clean up), it was so his croonies in H-wood could make some bank.

There More..

7:53 a.m. June 15, 2012
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