Longest hearing

The Book of World Records officially recognizes that The longest civil case heard before a jury is Kemner v. Monsanto Co., which concerned an alleged toxic chemical spill in Sturgeon, Missouri, USA in 1979. The trial started on 6 Feb 1984, at St. Clair County Court House, Belleville, Illinois, USA before Circuit Judge Richard P. Goldenhersh and ended on 22 Oct 1987. The testimony lasted 657 days, following which the jury deliberated for two months. The residents of Sturgeon were awarded $1 million (£609,000) nominal compensatory damages and $16,280,000 (£9,915,000) punitive damages, but these awards were overturned by the Illinois Appellate Court on 11 Jun 1991 because the jury in the original trial had not found that any damage had resulted from the spill.