NY child killer's penalty reduced

New York's highest court on Thursday overturned part of a lower court's $15 million judgment against a disbarred New York City lawyer who served 15 years in prison for killing his 6-year-old adopted daughter.

The state Court of Appeals reduced the judgment against Joel Steinberg by $985,000 _ the amount the New York City government was held liable for due to its agencies' failure to prevent Lisa Steinberg's death.

The court also ordered a new trial to address one element of the award to the girl's birth mother, Michele Launders. The 7-0 decision on Steinberg's appeal found that although evidence was presented at Steinberg's criminal trial that Lisa had suffered abuse prior to the night she was killed, the issue wasn't "necessarily decided" at that trial.

"The jury in defendant's criminal trial was not required to determine whether Lisa was subjected to repeated physical abuse by defendant during the months prior to the acts resulting in her death," the decision read.

A midlevel appeals court in January affirmed a lower court's 2004 decision to award Launders $15 million for Lisa's death, including $5 million for the girl's pain and suffering, $5 million for pain and suffering "as a battered child" and $5 million in punitive damages.

Depending on the outcome, the $5 million award for pain and suffering "as a battered child" could be altered, which could then alter the ruling on punitive damages, according to the decision.

"We're pleased that the court has upheld the core of the judgment," Launders' attorney, Wayne Shaefer, told The Associated Press. "We are currently reviewing the rest of the decision."

Steinberg, who represented himself, declined comment.

Steinberg was convicted of first-degree manslaughter in 1987 for hitting Lisa in the head with his hand, leading to her death. He was released from prison in 2004.