Juries do and always have seen themselves as moral legislatures that get to express outrage.
It's just the numbers they think of have changed. GM vowed to appeal the decision. Many trial lawyers predict GM is headed down the same route, though they do not suggest the company will get off lightly. The trial judge always has the authority to reduce these big punitive judgments and they will usually reduce them if for no other reason than to show how reasonable they are. Brian J. Panish, the plaintiff's lead lawyer in the GM case, said he agrees the verdict is large.