Mark opined

"Tom Sixkiller" wrote:
Your solution mixes civil and criminal law...a really bad situation.

Yes, but the very concept of "punitive damages" is already an
unhealthy mixture of civil and criminal law.

No, it is not.

Reserving the punitive
damages for the taxpayers will help to restore the punitive aspect
to its proper sphere.

....and make sure the the deep-pockets cases become even more prolific.