Last month we blogged about this opinion, which affirmed an $18 million punitive damages award.  Earlier this week, the Court of Appeal granted rehearing in that case and ordered the case resubmitted.  (Click here to view the court’s online docket.)   The resubmission restarts the court’s 90-day clock for issuing an opinion.

Strangely enough, the Court of Appeal denied the defendant’s petition for rehearing, and then simultaneously granted rehearing on “[o]n the court’s own motion.”  Does that mean that the court granted rehearing to address an issue that was not raised in the defendant’s rehearing petition?  That would be surprising, given the comprehensive nature of the defendant’s 30-page petition. Stay tuned for further developments.