American Notes JUSTICE

Over the course of the trial, the judge's wife began and completed a master's degree in education. Two different jurors were married; one has already celebrated two anniversaries. All told, the court's transcribers pecked out more than 100,000 pages of testimony, the equivalent of a 33-ft. stack of typewriter bond paper.

But the longest jury trial in U.S. history -- a 44-month marathon -- finally ended last week in Belleville, Ill. The long-suffering twelve-member circuit court jury found Monsanto Co. guilty of failing to warn the town of Sturgeon, Mo., about the risk of a 1979 spill containing the toxic chemical dioxin. The jury ordered the chemical company to pay $16.2 million in damages, then left the courthouse to celebrate with Judge Richard Goldenhersh over margaritas and daiquiris at a nearby Mexican restaurant. Monsanto, meanwhile, announced that it will appeal.