The Court of Special Appeals’ decision to reverse much of a $150 million jury verdict against Exxon Mobil kicks off the list of the most-read law stories of the week. Also making the list is Maryland’s decision to join the national foreclosure settlement and the story of a lawyer-turned-chef. The Top 5 are:

1.  Appeals court slashes damages for Jacksonville Exxon leak — by Danny Jacobs and Steve Lash

A divided Court of Special Appeals has struck down a large part of the $150 million in damages awarded to 88 Jacksonville households in their lawsuits against Exxon Mobil Corp. stemming from a massive 2006 gasoline leak.

The court left intact about $60 million in property damage claims, reversing the award to just one household.

However, a majority of the nine judges found the jury instruction on emotional distress damages was faulty and ordered a new trial on that count in Baltimore County Circuit Court for most plaintiffs.

2. Bid-rigging lawyer disbarred — by Daily Record Staff

Nearly two years after he pleaded guilty to a federal bid-rigging charge for colluding at tax-lien auctions, Harvey M. Nusbaum was disbarred Tuesday by the Court of Appeals.

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This is not intended to make light of the trial happening down in Charlottesville. The story of Yeardley Love is a tragedy, and reliving it at George Huguely’s trial has to be a nightmare for her family and for anyone connected in any way to Love or Huguely.

But after seeing photos from the opening days of the trial, there’s one question that keeps going through my mind: What happened to George Huguely? In that infamous mug shot from almost two years ago, he looks big, tough, menacing, hair going in every direction. His face is tan and full, his eyes dark and staring blankly ahead.

Fast forward to this week: he walks into the courthouse in handcuffs, his skin pale, eyes sunken behind his cheekbones. His sport coat appears to be wearing him. His hair is cropped closer. It’s hard to believe he played college sports at an elite level.

Is one the face of a guilty man, the other the face of an innocent man? Or is it the same person, transformed by the gravity of all that has happened since that fateful night in May 2010?

I guess it’s up to the jury to decide.