The U.S. Supreme Court rejected on an appeal by Exxon Mobil Corp. over the $5 billion punitive damages verdict against it for the 1989 Exxon Valdez accident, the nation's worst oil spill. The justices let stand a U.S. appeals court ruling that the award against the oil giant in a civil lawsuit brought by Alaskan fishermen and other plaintiffs should not be set aside because of irregularities during jury deliberations. The appeal centered on the misconduct of court bailiff Don Warrick, who escorted the jury during the 1994 trial and the deliberations. A dissenting juror, Rita Wilson, had become emotionally distraught on the 32nd day of deliberations, right before the Labor Day weekend.