Hunt Petroleum Corp. v. State

Hunt Petroleum Corporation appeals from a judgment entered against it and in favor of the State of Alabama awarding the State $3,403,200 in compensatory damages2 and $20,000,000 in punitive damages on the State's fraud claims. The State's fraud claims were based on alleged misrepresentations made by Hunt to the State regarding the payment of royalties by Hunt on gas extracted from Mobile Bay pursuant to a lease agreement between the State and Hunt. Hunt argues that the State failed to establish that it relied on the alleged fraudulent misrepresentations, and that, therefore, the State failed…