$30M Judgment Against Robert Blake Halved

The $30 million wrongful-death judgment against actor Robert Blake, awarded to the estate of his murdered wife, Bonny Lee Bakley, was halved by a California appeals court Friday, Reuters reported yesterday.

Mr. Blake, the star of the 1970s detective series, "Baretta," was acquitted of murder charges in March 2005, following a much-chronicled criminal trial, but was found liable for Bakley's death in a civil suit in November of that year.

In February 2007, Mr. Blake challenged the $30 million jury award, claiming procedural errors and juror misconduct. The 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles found no jury misconduct and no reversible error by the trial court, but nevertheless found the jury award excessive, Reuters reported.

If the Bakley estate does not consent to the reduction of the award to $15 million, the case could return to court.