TEXACO <TX> SAYS IT HAS EVIDENCE OF JUDGE'S BIAS
Texaco Inc said it has filed
a motion with the Texas Court of Appeals to supplement the
court record with new evidence it has just received of alleged
bias by Judge Anthony J.P. Farris against Texaco and its chief
trial lawyer in its litigation with Pennzoil Co <PZL>.
    The company contended that the alleged bias provides clear
grounds for a new trial. It said the motion was filed in
connection with its appeal of the Pennzoil judgment pending in
that court.
    Texaco said the motion introduces two letters written by
Farris, who has since died, to two Houston lawyers in late
1984, after he had been assigned the case but before the trial
began.
    The company alleged that Farris harbored personal animosity
against Texaco and its chief trial lawyer, Richard B. Miller,
due to an earlier motion to have Farris disqualified from the
case. The motion was filed due to Farris' acceptance of a
10,000 dlr campaign contribution from Pennzoil's chief trial
lawyer, Joseph P. Jamail, shortly after the case was assigned
to him, Texaco said.
    In February the Texas Appellate Court refused to grant
Texaco a new trial, finding no evidence that Farris was biased.
    Texaco said it is preparing its application for a rehearing
on the merits of its case before the Texas Appelate Court, and
the application will be filed on March 30.
    The company said it will ask the court to reconsider its
decision on the issue of due process in light of the Farris
letters.
    In the suit, Pennzoil has been awarded about 10.53 billion
dlrs in damages from Texaco in connection with Pennzoil's
proposed merger with Getty Oil Co, which was later taken over
by Texaco. Texaco is appealing the ruling.
    A Texaco spokeswoman said the company had known of the
letters for some time but were unable to release them until now
due to understandings of confidentiality with the attorneys
from which they were secured.
 Reuter
