▁law suit ▁file d ▁by ▁de ▁Vill ers ' ▁family . ▁A ▁j ury ▁ordered ▁Ros sum ▁to ▁pay ▁more ▁than ▁$ 1 0 0 ▁million ▁in ▁pun itive ▁dam ages , ▁while ▁San ▁Diego ▁County ▁was ▁ordered ▁to ▁pay ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁million . ▁The ▁family ▁had ▁originally ▁asked ▁for ▁$ 5 0 ▁million ▁in ▁pun itive ▁dam ages , ▁but ▁jur ors ▁awarded ▁double ▁that ▁amount ▁after ▁estim ating ▁Ros sum ▁could ▁have ▁made ▁$ 6 0 ▁million ▁from ▁s elling ▁the ▁rights ▁to ▁her ▁story . ▁John ▁G ome z , ▁the ▁lawyer ▁for ▁the ▁de ▁Vill ers ▁family , ▁acknowled ged ▁that ▁the ▁family ▁may ▁never ▁see ▁the ▁money , ▁but ▁wanted ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁Ros sum ▁does ▁not ▁profit ▁from ▁her ▁crime . ▁A ▁judge ▁later ▁reduced ▁the ▁pun itive ▁dam ages ▁award ▁to ▁$ 1 0 ▁million , ▁but ▁allowed ▁the ▁$ 4 . 5 ▁million ▁compens atory ▁award ▁to ▁stand . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁a ▁three - jud ge ▁panel ▁of ▁the ▁ 9 th ▁U . S . ▁Circ uit ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als ▁ruled ▁that ▁Ros sum ' s ▁law y ers ▁should ▁have ▁challeng ed ▁the ▁pro sec ution ' s ▁assertion , ▁by ▁doing ▁its ▁own ▁tests , ▁that ▁she ▁poison ed ▁her ▁husband ▁with ▁f ent any l . ▁The ▁panel ▁ordered ▁a ▁San ▁Diego ▁federal ▁court ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁hearing ▁into ▁whether ▁the ▁defense ' s ▁error ▁could ▁have ▁affected ▁the ▁trial