Cite as: 512 U. S. 415 (1994)
Opinion of the Court
found that the fact that the "award was reviewed and upheld by the trial judge" and unanimously affirmed on appeal gave rise "to a strong presumption of validity." 509 U. S., at 457. Concurring in the judgment, Justice Scalia ( joined by Justice Thomas) considered it sufficient that traditional common-law procedures were followed. In particular, he noted that " 'procedural due process' requires judicial review of punitive damages awards for reasonableness." Id., at 471.
All of those opinions suggest that our analysis in this case should focus on Oregon's departure from traditional procedures. We therefore first contrast the relevant common-law practice with Oregon's procedure, which that State's Supreme Court once described as "a system of trial by jury in which the judge is reduced to the status of a mere monitor." Van Lom v. Schneiderman, 187 Ore. 89, 113, 210 P. 2d 461, 471 (1949). We then examine the constitutional implications of Oregon's deviation from established common-law procedures.
III
Judicial review of the size of punitive damages awards has been a safeguard against excessive verdicts for as long as punitive damages have been awarded. One of the earliest reported cases involving exemplary damages, Huckle v. Money, 2 Wils. 205, 95 Eng. Rep. 768 (C. P. 1763), arose out of King George III's attempt to punish the publishers of the allegedly seditious North Briton, No. 45. The King's agents arrested the plaintiff, a journeyman printer, in his home and detained him for six hours. Although the defendants treated the plaintiff rather well, feeding him "beef steakes and beer, so that he suffered very little or no damages," 2 Wils., at 205, 95 Eng. Rep., at 768, the jury awarded him £ 300, an enormous sum almost 300 times the plaintiff's weekly wage. The defendant's lawyer requested a new trial, arguing that the jury's award was excessive. Plain-
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