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Robert Blake liable in wife's death |
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Actor Robert Blake, acquitted in March of murdering his wife, was found liable for her killing in a wrongful death civil suit brought by her children and ordered to pay $30 million in damages reports HinduTimes.
In a 10-2 decision, the jury ruled Friday that Blake "intentionally caused the death" of Bonny Lee Bakley, who was gunned down May 4, 2001 outside a restaurant where the couple had just dined.
Jurors said they were swayed by the former "Baretta" star's combative attitude during his eight days of testimony, when he often railed at plaintiffs' attorney Eric Dubin, calling him "chief," "junior" or "sonny." At one point, Dubin said he felt threatened by Blake's responses reports AP.
"We believe that Mr. Blake was probably his worst enemy on the stand," jury foreman Bob Horn said.
"In the end, the evidence that was presented really convinced the jury to the standard that we were set to," Horn said.
The 72-year-old Blake turned visibly pale and seemed stunned as the verdict was read in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Burbank.
The former star of the hit 1970s TV detective show "Baretta" was quickly escorted from the courthouse through a rear exit by three sheriff's deputies.
The verdict in the Blake case follows a similar path taken with O.J. Simpson, who was acquitted at a criminal trial in 1995 of murdering his ex-wife and a friend of hers
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